Washington: China has obtained from Boeing a military navigation technology used on advanced US missiles and warplanes, 'The Washington Times' reported yesterday (Feb 05, 2004), quoting US Government officials.

The dual-use commercial military items known as QRS11 gyroscopic microchips were sent to China inside the guidance systems of several Boeing 737-800 commercial jets sold to China Southern Airlines, one of several State-run Chinese airline companies.

Boeing obtained State Department license before shipping these items. Now, officials say the Department gave its approval "improperly".

A State Department official involved in the issue said that the transfer of the chips inside Boeing 737 control systems was approved orally, without a written authorization, during a period of disruption of US Government operations caused by Hurricane Isabel in mid-September.

"We wanted the transfer of the aircraft to proceed on time. It was extremely important to Boeing that the sale of civil aircraft to China go through," the official said.

The export was approved by President George W Bush under a waiver of the ban on military-related sales to China for the 737s.

The transfers and the US Government's role in improperly allowing the exports, said the paper, were outlined in a letter sent in October to Secretary of State Colin Powell by two senior members of Congress, Republican Henry Hyde, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, and senior member of the Committee, Democrat Tom Lantos.