China denies reports it will sell fighter jets to Iran
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/25/asia/AS-GEN-China-Iran-Fighter-Jets.php
China denies reports it will sell fighter jets to Iran
The Associated Press
Published: October 25, 2007
BEIJING: China denied Thursday published reports it had agreed to sell its homegrown fighter jets to Iran, saying no talks had taken place.
Reports in Russian and Israeli media said Iran had signed a deal with China to purchase two dozen of its home-designed fighter jets known as the J-10, which could signal greater military cooperation between the countries at a time of continued tension between Iran and the West over its nuclear program.
“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 Russian news reports said the planes would be delivered starting next year, and the contract could be worth US$1 billion (€700 million).
Hardly a surprising development, if media reports were to be believed Iran would have fleets of Flanker’s, Foxhound’s and J-8’s by now.:rolleyes:
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