New Delhi, Sept 14: Pakistan is presently negotiating with the French Government to buy air-to-air missiles and radars for its JF-17 fighter aircraft, but there are apprehensions that this European technology could fall into Chinese hands.

Experts say a possibility exists of circumventing a European arms embargo on China that has been in place since the Chinese military crushed pro-democracy protests in 1989.

According to the Jane’s Defence Weekly, Pakistan is keen to get the air-to-air missile from the MBDA and radars from Thales for its new fighter aircraft, which it is jointly developing with China.

Both these military equipments are being used in Taiwan's French-built Mirage fighters, and experts say that defence could be compromised if Pakistan transfers the technology to China.

There have been earlier instances of the Chinese exploiting US technologies through Pakistan.

However, in recent years, France has been lobbying for the uplifting of such a ban on China.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin told a news agency: "To my knowledge, there is no arms embargo for Pakistan," and added that they had no reason to cooperate with Pakistan on its leading projects.

The closer cooperation between China and Pakistan, particularly in defence matters, has increased apprehensions of technology leakage.

Alexander Neill, the head of the Asia program at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in Britain, who opined that the US would give a ‘vicious’ reaction if France goes ahead with sales, said that concerns that China could get its hands on the technology are "valid."

"Pakistan is building a very solid relationship with China," he added. (With Inputs from ANI)