Israel apologized to U.S. for disputed arms sales to China
Photo: Reuters
China sees Israel trade doubling by 2008
Channel Two TV reports Israel sells China some USD 2.5 billion of satellite technology and arms a year; Shalom apologizes to U.S. over export dispute
JERUSALEM - China expects to double its burgeoning bilateral trade with Israel by 2008 from its current volume, estimated at USD 2.4 billion to USD 2.5 billion a year, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Sunday.
Weapons Dispute
By Yitzhak Benhorin
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"From today until 2008 ... Our trade volume is expected to double (from) the size of today," Li told reporters after meeting his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom in Jerusalem.
Li's visit was overshadowed by a row between Israel and its U.S. ally over Israeli arms exports to China, some of which the Pentagon fears could tilt the balance of power and make it hard to defend Taiwan, deemed a renegade province by Beijing.
'We are sorry'
A Foreign Ministry spokesman put the 2004 trade volume with China at USD 2.4 billion, saying this did not include defense deals. Defense Ministry figures were not immediately available, but Israel's.
Earlier on Sunday, Shalom apologized to the U.S. over the export dispute, which prompted a reshuffle of top Israeli defense officials. Israeli media have speculated that
Israel could drastically curb its arms sales to China.
"If things were done that were not acceptable to the Americans then we are sorry, but these things were done with the utmost innocence," Shalom told Israel Radio in remarks that coincided with a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Li did not comment on the exports dispute.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said trade with China doubled between 2000 and 2004, making it one of the Jewish state's more lucrative trade partners.
