'Military-technical cooperation between Beijing and Jerusalem began in the 1980s': Shulman
Israel + China, Russia on the way
On January 5, 2007, an event took place in Beijing that became a landmark in Israeli-Chinese relations: information about the latest Chinese multi-purpose fighter Chengdu J-10 "Fasting Dragon" was officially made public.
However, the kinship of the "Swiky Dragon" with the Israeli fighter Lavi was no secret for experts. According to Andrew Chan, an independent expert of the Hong Kong think tank "KANWA", in 1986 a large group of Israeli specialists in the field of military aircraft construction arrived in Chengdu, the center of the Chinese aerospace industry. Israeli aircraft engineers helped the Chinese to develop the Chengdu J-10 "Fast Dragon" fighter based on an Israeli prototype.
And today, military-technical cooperation between China and Israel continues to develop rapidly. As noted in the report of the U.S. Congressional Commission on U.S.-China Relations, Israeli military exports to China are second only to Russian ones and tend to grow further. Israel is the main supplier of sophisticated military technologies to China. The Congress Commission noted that Israel supplies target interception and fire control equipment for the Chinese Navy, cruise missiles, radar systems, on-board radars, optical and telecommunication equipment, unmanned aircraft and flight simulators, tank thermal imagers.
It is worth noting that the factor restraining the development of bilateral relations remains the tough opposition of the United States to the strengthening of ties between Israel and China. The United States fears that China, having received advanced Israeli technologies, will significantly strengthen its military power. A serious conflict between Israel and the United States arose, in particular, in connection with the agreement on the supply of long-range radar detection aircraft to China. Under the terms of the deal, Israel had to equip three Chinese aircraft with Phalcon radars. However, as a result of tough pressure from the United States aimed at disrupting Sino-Israeli military cooperation, in July 2000 Israel was forced to abandon a deal with China, potentially estimated at $1 billion.
In China, Israeli combat experience is carefully studied. The head of the National Defense Academy, General Liu Yaazhou, who headed the Chinese military delegation, visited Israel, stated the need to strengthen cooperation with the Israeli Air Force in order to master their combat experience.
There is an intensive exchange of military delegations, and we are already talking about plans for cooperation between individual branches and types of troops of the IDF and the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).
In 2011, the PLA Chief of the General Staff, General Chen Bingde, visited Israel. General Chen Bingde held talks with his Israeli colleagues, visited a number of IDF military bases and observed demonstration exercises of Israeli assault units. The Chief of the General Staff of the PLA said that he was strongly impressed by the professionalism, equipment and patriotism of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.
Connections and interaction between the state security services of both countries are being strengthened. The commander of the People's Armed Police of China, General Wu Shuangian, expressed interest in expanding cooperation between the Israeli and Chinese police and state security services. Within the framework of the agreements reached, 53 senior Chinese police officers were trained in Israel in combating terrorism.
However, the leading role in the development of Israeli-Chinese relations is not played by the military component, but by the expanding cooperation between Israel and China in a variety of spheres of the economy and advanced technologies. In recent years, dozens of mutual visits of the leaders of China and Israel have taken place.
In April 2014, Israeli President Sh. Peres. During the Chinese-Israeli negotiations, agreements on cooperation between the two countries in various spheres were signed. The purpose of the negotiations was, in particular, to create a free trade zone between the two countries.
The volume of trade between Israel and China reached $10 billion in 2013, and there is a tendency to its further significant growth. Over the past year or two, Chinese investments in the Israeli economy have increased significantly, and there are prospects for their further growth. A number of interstate agreements have significantly facilitated and simplified the work of Israeli and Chinese enterprises on joint projects. Today, more than a thousand Israeli companies are working on various projects in China.
The Chinese are intensively mastering the Israeli experience of creating an innovative state. Among many joint projects, it is worth noting such as the "cloning" in China of the Haifa Technion, which is one of the best technical universities in the world. Rector of Technion Professor Pertz Lavi and Rector of Shantou University Professor Guo Feihua signed an agreement on the opening of the Technion-Guangdong Institute of Technology at the Chinese University. The new institute should start working in 2014. The Institute will have an innovation center, which should become the basis for the introduction of Israeli high technologies into the Chinese economy, as well as contribute to the creation of Chinese-Israeli innovative enterprises.
In May 2014, Tel Aviv University and Tsinghua University signed a partnership agreement of intent to invest $300 million in the establishment of a research center. The center will focus on biotechnology, solar energy, water resources.
China has invested billions of dollars in the last three years in Israeli firms engaged in the development of advanced technologies, which is undoubtedly a sign of Beijing's deep interest in strengthening Israeli-Chinese cooperation.
Against the background of the rapid development of this cooperation in many areas, Russia's attempts to establish similar cooperation with Israel look rather sluggish. In recent years, dozens of Russian delegations have visited Israel, regularly declaring Moscow's deep interest in the development of cooperation with Israel. However, in reality, it did not go beyond the declarations of the Russian side.
Thus, the Russian company "Rosnano", which opened its widely advertised representative office in Israel several years ago, has not achieved any success.
There are still many unresolved problems on the way of Israeli-Russian cooperation, although, as the example of successful Israeli-Chinese relations shows, only Israel can help Russia make a breakthrough in the economy and high technologies.
Recent visit of President V. Putin to China, during which an agreement on the supply of Russian gas worth $400 billion was signed, is perceived primarily in the context of the confrontation between Russia and the West. Israel declared its neutrality in this conflict and did not join the sanctions of the United States and European countries against Russia... It can be assumed that in the near future the events around Ukraine will not affect the development of Israeli-Russian relations and relations between Jerusalem and Beijing.
Source: https://lechaim.ru/events/izrail-kitay-rossiya-na-podhode/