China Funneling Weapons to Afghanistan

China Funneling Weapons to Afghanistan
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/china-funneling-weapons-to-afghanistan/

The Chinese are believed to be working with Afghan Taliban  groups who are now
in combat with NATO forces, prompting concerns that  China might become the
conduit for shoulder-fired anti-aircraft  missiles, improved communications and
additional small arms to the  fundamentalist Muslim fighters.

A British military official contends that Chinese  specialists have been seen
training Taliban fighters in the use of  infrared-guided surface-to-air
missiles. This is supported by a May 13,  2008, classified U.S. State Department
document released by WikiLeaks  telling U.S. officials to confront Chinese
officials about missile  proliferation.

China is developing knock-offs of Russian-designed  man-portable air defense
missiles (manpads), including the QW-1 and  later series models. The QW-1
Vanguard is an all-aspect, 35-lb. launch  tube and missile that is
reverse-engineered from the U.S. Stinger and  the SA-16 Gimlet (9K310 Igla-1).
China obtained SA-16s from Unita rebels  in then-Zaire who had captured them
from Angolan government forces. The  16g missiles have a slant range of 50,000
ft. The  QW-1M is a variant  that incorporates even more advanced SA-18 Grouse
(9K38 Igla)  technology.

So far, there has been a curious absence of manpad  attacks on NATO aircraft in
Afghanistan. One reason is that the Russian  equipment still in place is out of
date and effectively no longer  usable, the British official says. Another may
be that the possession of  such a weapon is a status symbol, so owners are
reluctant to use it.  However, the introduction of new manpads could change that
equation.