Why don't we nuke Abu Dhabi?

China used Emirati tech to upgrade missiles, Biden spies claimed


DEMETRI SEVASTOPULO — WASHINGTON · 27 Oct 2025


US spy agencies obtained intelligence in 2022 that the United Arab Emirates gave Huawei technology that they believe China used to extend the range of air-to-air missiles, giving its fighter jets an advantage over American warplanes.

According to six people familiar with the intelligence gathered during the Biden administration, the technology allegedly transferred to China by G42, the UAE’s flagship artificial intelligence group, was used to upgrade long-range missiles fired from fighter jets.

Two of the people said the technology was passed to Huawei. One of those people and another person said the Chinese missiles were the PL-15 and PL-17 variants.

G42, whose shareholders include Microsoft, Silver Lake and the UAE’s sovereign investment fund Mubadala, disputed the US intelligence, saying it categorically rejected the “false and defamatory allegations” from “sources with questionable motive and intent”.

While many US intelligence and security officials were concerned about the information on G42 and China, a few officials were more circumspect. There was also debate among officials about whether G42 knew that the technology would be used to help the People’s Liberation Army.

But another six people familiar with the matter said the information came as US spy agencies were detecting broader evidence that the UAE, a critical American ally in the Middle East, appeared to be moving closer to China.

The intelligence prompted a fierce debate in the administration about US relations with the UAE and whether it should co-operate more with the Gulf state on AI on condition that it agreed to stop working with China.

The UAE, home to an American military base and a big investor in the US, has maintained close ties to Washington for decades. But relations grew strained during the Biden administration, with Abu Dhabi frustrated by the muted US response to attacks on the UAE’s capital by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The exact nature of the technology G42 shared with China was unclear. G42 is chaired by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed alNahyan and has expanded into geospatial, aeronautics and satellite technology. Two people said the technology involved software that would optimise the flight of the missiles.

There is no evidence that transferring the technology would have breached any laws and the FT could not establish whether G42 was aware of its subsequent use.

“The assertion that G42 might have ‘leaked’ technology to Huawei while Huawei was a supplier to G42 is factually baseless,” G42 said.

Huawei said the claim was “entirely untrue” and there was “no technology provision or transfer from G42 to Huawei that ended up being used to the claimed situation”. There has been no suggestion made to the FT that Huawei violated any laws.

William Burns, CIA director at the time, declined to comment on the intelligence about G42 and China.



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