CHINA SEEKS DEFENSE UPGRADE WITH ARAB STATES

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- China has sought to improve defense and military
relations with Arab League states.
Beijing has recently held high-level defense and military talks with three
Arab countries in what diplomatic sources said was a Chinese effort to renew
weapons sales and cooperation with allies in the Middle East. The sources
said Chinese arms sales declined sharply over the last two years.

In December 2003, China held talks with Kuwait, Sudan and Syria. In
Damascus, a high-level Chinese military delegation discussed a series of
projects and training with Syrian military and defense chiefs.

A CIA report released in November 2003 asserted that China was a leading
supplier of missile and weapons of mass destruction technology to Syria. The
report said Beijing has been helping Damascus in developing solid-fuel
missile technology.
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