US Congressmen concerned over China's nuke weapons aid to Pak

Expressing concern over latest reports saying China supplied nuclear weapons technology and design to Pakistan, two influential US lawmakers have wrote a letter to the Obama administration, seeking to know what has been done to halt such cooperation which represents a threat to the national security of America and its allies.
Congressmen Mike Rogers, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and Ted Poe, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade sent the strongly- worded letter dated April 25 to the Obama Administration, seeking more information on report that China has enabled a Pakistani nuclear missile capability.
The two-page letter was sent to Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Ashton Carter along with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper after a well-known Chinese military technology expert Richard Fisher wrote to the two lawmakers in this regard.

In his research paper, Fisher noted the design similarities between the Shaheen III TEL (transporter erector launcher), the Sanjiang Special Vehicle Corporation of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) WS51200 TEL, and a Chinese provided TEL North Korea's new KN- 08 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
This led Fisher to conclude, "CASIC has again enabled a Pakistani nuclear missile capability," the Congressmen wrote in their letter, a copy of which has been obtained by PTI.
"We are deeply concerned that the TEL displayed in Pakistan was acquired from China," Rogers and Poe said.

The transfer of an item as advanced and significant as a TEL, even if only transferred as a truck chassis known to be capable of modification to a TEL, would require the approval from the highest levels of China's government if not also the People's Liberation Army, they noted.

"Such cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and China would represent a threat to the national security of the United States and its allies," Rogers and Poe said as they asked a set of six questions to the Obama Administration.
"What, if anything, has the administration done to ensure China halts such cooperation and demands the return of these TELs?," read one of the six questions the lawmakers asked.
The lawmakers sought to know if there is any other evidence of Chinese entity support for Pakistan's ballistic missile program or nuclear weapons program, whether technology transfer or otherwise.
"Would such cooperation be in violation of any United Nations Security Council resolutions or any US sanction laws? If so, will the Administration levy any sanctions against China for this apparent support for the Pakistani ballistic missile program?," they asked.

"How does the presence of Pakistani road-mobile MRBMs with possible nuclear warheads change US, Israel and other allies' security posture? What are the impacts for US and allied (again, including Israeli) missile defenses?," they said.
"So, my questions about military exchanges are not
towards the desire to use viewing India as some sort of surrogate counterbalance to China in the region, but rather one that recognises what I think is their potential, and ultimately their rightful role in South Asia and across the world," Rubio said.
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he is heartened by the ongoing work that's being done in defence sector.

Referring to his visit to India in October 2014 wherein he went to the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai to see India's ship building industry, he said he has encouraged the defence ministry to send a delegation here.
"And I think that has happened, maybe last summer. And then, there's ongoing work in these various defence spaces. (Defense) Secretary (Ashton) Carter has been really good about it," he said.
"It's good that as we think about that part of the world even we're changing our vocabulary to reflect the fact that the relationship with India is of growing strategic importance. I believe that it is. And I just want to encourage that we continue in that way," he said.