MOSCOW, June 2 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's recent visit to China has encouraged economic, cultural and other ties. The parties also signed a whole package of documents, including a $1.5 billion deal on Russia's contribution to China's nuclear power generation.
The only issue the journalists on Medvedev's team overlooked was military technical cooperation -- an area of relations that has been gathering moss for quite a while.
The Russian-Chinese bilateral commission on military technical cooperation has not met for two years, and Russia's defense minister has repeatedly postponed his visit to Beijing. Military experts say that Russian companies are not working on a single major contract for China, supplying only spare parts and components, including for the assembly of Mi-8 Hip and Mi-17 Hip H transport helicopters.
Not long ago Russian arms and equipment supplies to China made up 40 percent of Russia's military exports, and earned the country between $1.8 billion and $2.5 billion a year. According to independent sources, Russian military deliveries to China over the past 15 years, mostly of aircraft, naval and air defense equipment, exceeded $25 billion.
The Chinese air force currently has more than 280 Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 Flanker fighters.
Several years ago Beijing bought a license to assemble 200 Su-27SK fighters at the Shenyang Aircraft Corp. But China suspended the contract after producing just 105 aircraft. Analysts say the Chinese have learned to build the planes without Russian assistance and therefore no longer need the Russian-made components, even though China's JF-17 Thunder fighters need the RD-93 engines produced at the Moscow-based Chernyshev machine-building plant.
The aircraft were delivered to China together with air-to-surface (X-35), anti-ship (X-31A) and anti-radar (X-31P) missiles.
China also bought a large batch of Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-171 helicopters and engines for them. Russia has built four Sovremenny-class destroyers for the Chinese navy and armed them with supersonic Moskit anti-ship missiles -- NATO designation: SS-N-22 Sunburn.
China ordered the construction of 12 diesel-electric submarines -- two Project 877EKM and 10 Project 636 and Project 636M Amur submarines -- armed with Club-S anti-ship cruise missiles, in St. Petersburg.
Beijing also bought as many as 60 air defense systems -- 28 S-300PMU-1 and S-300PMU-2 systems and approximately 30 Tor-M1 air defense systems made at the Almaz-Antei concern.
There are several reasons for the recent problems in Russian-Chinese military technical cooperation. One was Russia's failure to deliver on a $1.5 billion order for 34 Il-76MD Candid transport and landing aircraft and four Il-78 Midas flying tankers.
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Next: The weapons China wants to buy.
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(Nikita Petrov writes on military affairs for RIA Novosti. This article is reprinted in part with the permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)
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(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)
