They said People's Liberation Army Navy
chief Adm. Wu Shengli met Israeli military commanders and Defense Minister
Ehud Barak about prospects for naval cooperation.
The officials also said Israel, with U.S. approval, has sought to persuade China
from exporting advanced weapons to such countries as Iran and Syria.
Chinese weapons, particularly the C-802 cruise missile, have ended up
in the arsenal of the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.
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"This man visits dozens of countries, including the United States, every
year and now it's our turn," an official said.
A Defense Ministry statement said Wu met his Israeli counterpart, Rear
Adm. Eliezer Marom as well as Barak on May 25 in Tel Aviv, Middle East Newsline reported. No details were
reported although a photograph was released by the ministry of the Chinese
commander and the two Israelis.
Over the last decade, the United States has forced Israel to halt
defense exports to China. In 2006, Israel agreed to an informal U.S. veto on
all dual-use systems to Beijing, which also blocked efforts to supply
security equipment and expertise to China.