- (AFP) -- China has said other countries have no right
to interfere in its arms trade with Israel, following a report that the
Jewish state had halted contacts on weapons sales to China at the request
of the United States.
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- "It is China's consistent position that the development
of normal military trade cooperation with Israel is a matter between the
two countries," the foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.
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- "Other countries have no right to interfere in this."
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- Israel's Haaretz daily reported Thursday that Israel
had frozen all its contacts on arms and security equipment exports to China
at Washington's request.
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- The United States justified its demand with fears that
advanced US defense technology contained in Israeli equipment could be
used against China's arch foe Taiwan, the paper said.
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- But an Israeli official quoted by the newspaper argued
the United States could also be maneuvering to save the lucrative Chinese
market for its own industry and overtake Israel in the exports race.
-
- Later Thursday, the US State Department admitted it opposed
Israeli sales of high-tech weapons systems to China but insisted the position
was based solely on "strategic concerns" and not its commercial
interests.
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- State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington
regularly raised concerns about Israel's sales of advanced weaponry and
technology to China.
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- However, he would not confirm the newspaper report that
Israel had frozen all contact on such transfers with Beijing.
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- Under US pressure, Israel in July 2000 canceled a contract
to sell to China a Russian Ilyushin-76 plane equipped with its own Phalcon
Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS).
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- In March 2001, Israel agreed to pay China 350 million
dollars to compensate for the canceled sale.
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