China to buy 4 submarines, 24 fighter jets from Russia

[Ace1]

Terechte angsten van Rusland. Vind het ook een vreemde order. Het zou maar een marginale versterking van de Chinese capaciteiten betekenen.

Kan zijn maar de Chinezen zijn wel goed in het kopieren van SU-30 jets. Dus het ligt in de hand dat men dan ook de SU-35´s en de 4 subs kopiert.

[dudge]

Terechte angsten van Rusland. Vind het ook een vreemde order. Het zou maar een marginale versterking van de Chinese capaciteiten betekenen.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Deal Or No Deal? Russia, China Disagree on Big Sale of Jets, Submarines

By Michelle FlorCruz | March 26 2013

According to Chinese state media, Beijing has signed an agreement with Russia to purchase 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and four Lada-class submarines in what would be the nation's biggest large-scale weapons purchase from Moscow in a decade.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) exchanges documents with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow March 22, 2013.

Just ahead of new President Xi Jinping's first official international visit to Moscow, the state-owned China Central Television said that the two nations had been working out the details of the deal, which had been months in the making, until finally signing the contract.

The deal is said to be the beginning of strengthening mutual cooperation between the two neighboring nations, bolstering Sino-Russian relations.

"China is ready to work with Russia to tap that potential and expand the scope of bilateral defense cooperation, so as to lift it to a new level," Defense Minister General Chang Wanquan told his Russian counterpart, General Sergei Shoigu, according to the South China Morning Post.

Aside from the arms sale, the South China Morning Post also reported that the countries plan on building high-level contacts and undertaking joint military exercises and personnel exchanges.

Still, there may be a snag. Though Chinese state media is reporting the deal has been signed, Russian sources are denying it has been confirmed.

According to Russian government-owned news agency ITAR TASS, there was no discussion during Xi Jinping's Moscow visit of any "military-technical cooperation," quoting an unnamed source close to Russia's defense system. The Russian article came in response to a report earlier that day by state news in China.

"The Kremlin is officially denying even discussing arms trade during Xi's visit," Vasily Kashin, a China military specialist in Moscow's Center for Analysis of Startegies and Technologies, was quoted by Defense News as saying.

According to Defense News, a Russian defense source says that Russia is having reservations about going through with the deal because of China's previous violations.

"China intentionally violated intellectual property right agreements when it copied and manufactured Russia's Su-27 fighter as the J-11B, according to Russia," the report said.

In 2006, a deal for 200 fighter aircraft was canceled when Russia discovered China had reverse-engineered the plane and copies had been secretly manufactured locally, only now with Chinese-made avionics, or on-board electronics, and engines.

According to China Daily, however, the submarines will be designed and built in a collaborative effort by both countries, two of them being built in each nation, alleviating some fears of intellectual property rights violations.

http://www.ibtimes.com/deal-or-no-deal-russia-china-disagree-big-sale-jets-submarines-1152155#

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

China to buy 4 submarines, 24 fighter jets from Russia

March 25, 2013

BEIJING: China has agreed to buy two dozen fighter jets and four submarines from Russia, state media reported on Monday, the country's first large-scale weapons technology purchases from Moscow in a decade.

The agreement to buy the 24 Su-35 fighters and four Lada-class submarines was signed just before President Xi Jinping's weekend visit to Russia, said the People's Daily, the Communist Party organ, citing state television.

The report, which did not give a value for the purchases, said it was the first time in 10 years China had bought "large military technological equipment" from Russia.

The deal comes as Beijing expands its military reach - it commissioned its first aircraft carrier last year - and is embroiled in a bitter territorial row with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Two of the submarines will be built in Russia, with the other two to be built in China.

"The Su-35 fighters can effectively reduce pressure on China's air defence before Chinese-made stealth fighters come online," the report said.

China and Russia are expected to co-operate further in developing military technology, the report said, including that for S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles, 117S large thrust engines, IL-476 large transport aircraft and IL-78 aerial tankers.

China's defence ministry had no immediate comment on the report.

Xi visited Moscow from Friday to Sunday for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, his first trip abroad since becoming head of state earlier this month.

The countries signed around 30 energy and other agreements during the visit.

Xi also met Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and became the first foreign leader to visit the Russian armed forces' control centre.

Moscow and Beijing, which were once bitter foes during the Cold War, have strengthened cooperation in recent years to counterbalance what they see as US global dominance.

Earlier this month China announced a further double-digit rise in its defence budget, raising it by 10.7 per cent to 720.2 billion yuan ($116.3 billion) in 2013.

Agence France-Presse

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/ad4f9e20-9f3d-406a-860e-ad44e49d8b6d.aspx