Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., October 28, 2007 Cheshvan 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 13:02 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising
Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 16:35 25/10/2007
China denies sale of warplanes to Iran based on Israeli know-how
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press

China denied Thursday published reports it had agreed to sell its homegrown fighter jets to Iran, saying no talks had taken place.

Iran has signed a deal with China to buy two squadrons of J-10 fighter planes that are based on Israeli technology, the Russian news agency Novosti reported Tuesday.

The 24 aircraft are based on technology and components provided to China by Israel following the cancellation of the Lavi project in the mid-1980s. The engines of the J-10 are Russian-made.
Advertisement
"It's not true, it is an irresponsible report," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters. "China has not had talks with Iran on J-10 jets."

Chinese state media revealed at the end of last year that the Chinese air force was equipped with a new generation of the J-10 fighter plane.

Ties between China and Iran are largely absent of the tensions between that country and the West, and it remains an important oil supplier to feed China's growing economy.

The J-10 has been in development since the late 1980s, according to Global Security, and has utilized Russian technology.

The total cost of the planes is estimated at $1 billion, and deliveries are expected between 2008 and 2010.

The estimated operational range of the aircraft, with external fuel tanks, is 3,000 kilometers, which means Israel falls within their radius of operation.

During the 1980s, Israel Aircraft Industries, along with U.S. firms, developed a multi-role aircraft that was considered the most advanced of its type at the time.

Following the development of a prototype, the Reagan administration stopped funding for the project, bringing about the cancellation of the joint project.

Israel then began selling some of the systems it had developed to various countries, including China.

Experts point out that even with these aircraft, Iran's air force is no match for Israel's or even Saudi Arabia's.

Some analysts expressed criticism at what they called Israel's "short sighted" and lax export policies.

This is not the first time Israeli components were part of weapons systems aimed at Israel. Some reports claimed that China sold Saudi Arabia long-range missiles containing Israeli know-how.

Related articles:
  • Rosner's Blog: Selling arms to the Saudis
  • Report: Iran to pay $1b for Syria to procure weapons
  • Russia: Arms sales to Iran will not upset Mideast power balance
  • PM: China made it absolutely clear they oppose Iran acquiring nukes
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us
    6 years on
    Officials say Syria's suspected reactor was under construction in 2001.
    Nyet to aliyah
    The minister was wrong: Nativ's tactics simply aren't suited to today's Jewish village.
      1.   What goes wrong I heard Iran doesn?t need any more jet fighters? 01:34  |  e.m 24/10/07
      2.   Israeli Technology 01:51  |  B 24/10/07
      3.   I believe it was the labor which not permitted to build the Lavi 01:52  |  e.m 24/10/07
      4.   What can one say? 01:58  |  Steve 24/10/07
      5.   what goes around comes around! 02:00  |  lakshmi 24/10/07
      6.   IT WILL ALWAYS COME BACK AND BITE YOU IN THE ASS 02:08  |  VIPER 24/10/07
      7.   This is a great joke 02:23  |  Mark Lincoln 24/10/07
      8.   No to sale 02:41  |  Brod 24/10/07
      9.   Very well, in this case Israel knows the weaknesses of the planes 03:02  |  Genuine Tosefta 24/10/07
      10.   24 jets 03:09  |  Shmuelshachor 24/10/07
      11.   What wonderful... 03:17  |  Maureen Ann 24/10/07
      12.   Good. So Israel knows them better than anybody else. 03:34  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/10/07
      13.   WOW 03:43  |  Scott 24/10/07
      14.   Good for Iran! They have aging technology! 03:46  |  Who cares? 24/10/07
      15.   Israel`s friend, The Chinese 03:48  |  Ron 24/10/07
      16.   Israel should care 04:11  |  Truths 24/10/07
      17.   Why is Iran wasting its money? 04:28  |  Concerned Citizen 24/10/07
      18.   ENTEBBE??? 04:41  |  MATTHEW 24/10/07
      19.   China - Israel Technology 04:49  |  Enoch 24/10/07
      20.   I am amazed at the similarities 1930`s - 2007. 04:50  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/10/07
      21.   This Stuff About China Is The Part I Erased... 04:55  |  Yosemite 24/10/07
      22.   Mark Lincoln the... 04:57  |  Yosemite 24/10/07
      23.   SELLING OUT HOLYLAND, SELLING ISRAEL`S DEFENCE AND SECURITY))) 04:58  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 24/10/07
      24.   To Maureen Ann # 11 05:17  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/10/07
      25.   See? How Mohamedans are dumbed? 05:18  |  cristo 24/10/07
      26.   The Lavi Began As A Kfir But Grows Into An Arieh 05:19  |  Lavi 24/10/07
      27.   J-10 has no Israeli components whatsoever. No J-10`s for Iran too 06:03  |  Dave 24/10/07
      28.   oh how does it feeeeel?! 06:12  |  eric 24/10/07
      29.   Most of to days Jet and Rocket technology can 06:38  |  L A 24/10/07
      30.   Israeli Whores 06:38  |  Frank 24/10/07
      31.   MULLAHS paying indirectly for future Israeli weapons development 07:18  |  PETER S .M. 24/10/07
      32.   LAKSHMI& VIPER Upset they did not buy Arab technology instead?? 07:21  |  PETER S.M. 24/10/07
      33.   HEZBOLLAH HAS NO TECHNOLOGY AND POUNDED OUR ARMY 07:37  |  TRUTH 24/10/07
      34.   An old technology doesn`t damge the modren one! 08:00  |  Roxana from IRAN 24/10/07
      35.   MOSLEMS have been buying Israeli technology on the sly for decads 08:06  |  PETE R SM 24/10/07
      36.   Delivery Vans 08:18  |  Natallie Durson 24/10/07
      37.   Fortuna Benmayor 08:38  |  Walid 24/10/07
      38.   What about a boycott of Israeli goods? Does that only refer to 08:42  |  SLAVO 24/10/07
      39.   Can you say "Pre-Compromised"? 08:50  |  Efox 24/10/07
      40.   re: e.m 09:03  |  Efox 24/10/07
      41.   19Fortuna Mayor,who exactly is the Hitler here,the ones in Tel 09:04  |  lakshmi 24/10/07
      42.   re: Concerned Citizen 09:05  |  Efox 24/10/07
      43.   re: Scott 09:07  |  Efox 24/10/07
      44.   re: Brod 09:08  |  Efox 24/10/07
      45.   This is no issue 09:17  |  Mat 24/10/07
      46.   In today`s global economy ... 09:21  |  Economist 24/10/07
      47.   American pressure 09:25  |  Gilad 24/10/07
      48.   Foolishness by Iran 09:36  |  Clickfool 24/10/07
      49.   Cretin Lincoln,learn to read English 09:51  |  Absolute Sweden 24/10/07
      50.   #7 Mark 09:54  |  george 24/10/07
      51.   that is not a danger against israel 10:00  |  mehmet 24/10/07
      52.   #21 lakshmi 10:15  |  Silvia 24/10/07
      53.   V2 from the Reich to London 10:22  |  Dr D 24/10/07
      54.   Israelis scrabbling for reassurance 10:38  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/10/07
      55.   Re #7 How accurate are the sources -- 10:50  |  DJStahl 24/10/07
      56.   Now Israel knows how the U.S. feels 10:58  |  John McMillan 24/10/07
      57.   "based on Israeli technoloy" 11:22  |  Axel 24/10/07
      58.   # 20 efox 11:27  |  Axel 24/10/07
      59.   LAKSHMI ,VIPER ,MAUREEN .Jelous they did not buy Arab technology? 11:39  |  PETER S.M. 24/10/07
      60.   J.MCMILLAN Israel is accepted by US defence as VERYsecure. 11:47  |  PETER S.M. 24/10/07
      61.   AXEL If it was developed under secrecy,how do you know details? 11:58  |  PETER S .M. 24/10/07
      62.   # 48 petersm 12:15  |  Axel 24/10/07
      63.   to Concerned Citizen 12:19  |  dovale 24/10/07
      64.   Mehmet 12:27  |  iKeltin 24/10/07
      65.   Doval number 51 12:28  |  iKeltin 24/10/07
      66.   AXEL.By definition you cannot know whether it`s right or wrong 12:36  |  PETER S .M. 24/10/07
      67.   to Frank 30 - Israeli Whores 13:20  |  ex-Israeli 24/10/07
      68.   # 66 petersm 13:21  |  Axel 24/10/07
      69.   to 63- starving Iranians and education 14:14  |  ex-Israeli 24/10/07
      70.   re 57 & Russia & China 15:29  |  Devin 24/10/07
      71.   Welcome To The World Of The Anti-Christ And The Caliphate 15:33  |  Yosemite 24/10/07
      72.   re 71 - You are CREEPY 16:54  |  Devin 24/10/07
      73.   America needs to cut off Israel for good!! 20:45  |  Frank 24/10/07
      74.   To all you ISRAEL bashers... 00:40  |  Helge 25/10/07
      75.   How old are you Frank? 00:50  |  Barry 25/10/07
      76.   24 more Iranian casualties coming up! 00:53  |  Carl 25/10/07
      77.   Devin Want To Read Something Creepier? 02:39  |  Harold Potter 25/10/07
      78.   I Ran`s Modern & Excellent education of what 02:46  |  cristo 25/10/07
      79.   To Lakshmi # 41 and his cheapest bs 02:58  |  Fortuna Benmayor 25/10/07
      80.   Israeli vs Persian 08:38  |  Michael 25/10/07
      81.   "EX ISRAELI" ?? &whores,Scuds with Israeli technology??? 13:17  |  PETER S.M. 25/10/07
      82.