Posted on 06/22/2005 5:19:10 AM PDT by thierrya
Jun. 22, 2005 0:50 | Updated Jun. 22, 2005 3:01
China, Israel discuss expanding defense ties
By NINA GILBERT
Expansion of defense ties with Israel was on the agenda during talks with his Israeli counterparts this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Tuesday.
Li, who spoke at the start of a meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, did not go into detail about the current dispute between Israel and the US over the Israel upgrade of Chinese Harpy drones.
He said that during his visit he had held talks on expanding ties in the fields of "trade, army, culture, education and tourism."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom apologized to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this week over the deal, and expressed hope that the crisis would be quickly resolved.
Defense Minister Director-General Amos Yaron is expected to be sacked as part of the deal to resolve the crisis with the US.
Li was asked by Labor MK Danny Yatom about US-Chinese relations and how the ties were affecting Israel's ability to sell arms to China. Li responded that ties between the US and China were improving, and that the main problem in the ties was Taiwan. He said China also opposed the sale of US arms to Taiwan that could pose a threat to it, according to Yatom, who heads the Israel-China parliamentary friendship association.
Li also told Israel to prepare for an imminent influx of Chinese tourists as an outgrowth of deepening ties.
"I can let you know with some certainty that thousands of Chinese tourists will visit Jerusalem and other parts of the country. You are such an attraction. I have already advised enterprises of this country to prepare more hotel rooms for the upcoming Chinese tourism," he said.
Li also told the MKs that he was moved by his visit to Yad Vashem, saying it made him feel a bond between the Jewish people and the Chinese. He said 20 million Chinese were "slaughtered by the Japanese aggressors" during the same period of World War II.
"We should never forget history, instead we should turn it into united efforts to maintain world peace," he said.
Committee chairman Yuval Steinitz said the relations with China were "extremely" important for Israel, referring to China as the "giant" and Israel as the "dwarf."
WTF. He's laying it on pretty thick.
"I can let you know with some certainty that thousands of Chinese tourists will visit Jerusalem and other parts of the country. You are such an attraction. I have already advised enterprises of this country to prepare more hotel rooms for the upcoming Chinese tourism," he said.
Yea, I hope there is too. It seems like we complicate everything we try to do in the MidEast and Europe by backing the Israelis but they don't do much in return.
To be fair, given their long history and the persecution they've undergone it isn't surprising that they are unwilling to rely on anyone save themselves. If I was Israel, I would make sure I had as many military sources and political/economic avenues open to me as possible...
That said, I think Pollard should have swung as soon as he was found guilty. Going softly on spies from friendly nations only encourages such spying.
"However, with US support they would have never come into existence nor would they continue to survive."
Freudian slip, right?
Maybe you should first consider stop footing the Chinese defence bill by buying $300 bln-worth of merchendise from them, and then, maybe, consider stopping selling weapons to muslims that eventually will kill the Americans. Ah, whatever.
China wasn't a giant until we started pumping money into their moribund economy. Now that they are becoming wealthy, they are becoming far more influential -- and the last thing that we could possibly want is for a large totalitarian state to become more influential.
I have to admit that I am surprised at Israel's engagement with China, though. I think that speaks volumes, as does Argentina's and Indonesia's.
Israel recently sold China its drone aircraft under great "protest" from the U.S.
I am a strong supporter of Israel but that support must be a two-way street.
We need to say to Israel - will it be the U.S. or will it be China, because from a U.S. point of view it cannot be both.
"will it be the U.S. or will it be China, because from a U.S. point of view it cannot be both"
Yes, it can. See my post above.
Your post is irrelevant because it assumes that the US will allow this double dealing to go on. The U.S should force Israel to choose and then let it live with the consequences. Also, your comment about arming islamofascists is pretty amusing considering Israel is doing everything in their power to arm over a billion communists...
US discusses cutting Israel off?
Shhhh! You are supposed to be an "innocent bystander" during this bit of choreography and delightful pretense.
Please refrain from bolting onto the stage and mouthing truthful sayings.
Israel's strategy has always been to be close allies with a superpower. This looks like a warning shot across our bow. In which case, they are making a grave error.
ADD: Unless of course you are the 'delightful stooge' in all of this .
ADD: The Harlequin suit does look particulaly natty ,though.
Now that the US has pumped into China billions of dollars expect more and more countries to cozy up to China. That would include Isreal, India and Australia.....and so on.
You're saying it can be both? That Israel should not face strong U.S. reactions for its military hardware trade with China? Or that that trade does not matter?
What does your "Yes It can" mean?
It means that you are buying a lot of stuff from China thus supporting its degense and space programs. And these moneys may translate into lost American lives if China attacks Taiwan, since America has a mutual defence treaty with Taiwan. So you see, it's both America and China for you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.