The Washington Times ran (5/30) a special report on how Israel’s relationship with China was raising international concerns. The report stated that Israel has recently been expanding trade relations and military ties with China as a large, emerging market for its military goods and an influential player capable of bringing pressure on Iran. The previous week, the IDF had hosted a Chinese paramilitary unit in Israel for a joint training mission, while IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz had visited China to discuss increasing military cooperation. Early in the quarter, Israeli PM Netanyahu announced plans to visit China in 6/2012, but subsequently the trip was postponed. Israel and China opened diplomatic relations in 1992 and for nearly a decade had a strong relationship based on Israel’s selling sophisticated military technology to China. From 2000 to 2005, however, the relationship suffered when the U.S. forced Israel to cancel 2 planned arms deals with China. The cancellations came amid a raft of accusations that Israel had shared proprietary U.S. military technology with China in violation of bilateral agreements.
Quarterly Updates for (16 May 2012 — 15 Aug 2012)
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