Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert declined this morning to answer Chinese reporters' questions about the sale to China of Israel-made products with civilian and military applications. Speaking at a media conference, Olmert said that there were high-tech components that could be used in defense products, and that Israel would not be stopped from selling them to China.
Olmert added, "Our relationship is growing and expanding, and I'm not defining the areas of cooperation because that could be misleading. If China buys communications equipment, like the sort RAD develops in Israel, and if someone uses it in a military system in the future, does that mean that Israel sells military equipment? No, these are everyday products that we want to sell to China."
Olmert said that Israel was not interested in selling non-Israeli-developed products to China. In this way, he hinted at the fact that Israel refrains from selling US-developed products to China with possible security or military use.
Olmert expanded on a statement made earlier this week by Israel's military attache in Beijing, that Israel could not sell certain products to China because of the US, saying "There is no involvement whatsoever on the part of American companies in the products that Israeli companies will sell to China".
The reporters asked Olmert if Israel might possibly increase the number of Chinese workers permitted to enter Israel. Olmert reiterated Israel's position that employing Israeli citizens was of paramount importance. However, he said, there would always be Chinese people among Israel's foreign workers.
International Olympic Committee member Alex Gilady told "Globes" that, "If the US tries to block Israel from selling defense products to China in tenders for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, it will damage New York City's chances of hosting the games in 2010."
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on Thursday, June 24, 2004