WASHINGTON, Aug 13: The US State Department has refused to confirm or deny claims that China provided missile technology to Pakistan, which enabled Islamabad to test a cruise missile. Pakistan tested on Thursday its first cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads and conventional payloads up to 500km.

In an earlier statement, the State Department had said that the Pakistani test did not aim at threatening neighbours, although Islamabad had failed to warn India before the test.

In the department’s regular briefing on Thursday, a reporter had asked deputy spokesman Adam Ereli if the US had reasons to believe that China had provided technology for this test.

Mr Ereli told the reporter that he had “nothing to share” with him.