China,S.Arabia to cooperate in Defence

[RAPTOR]

S. Arabia, China to cooperate in defence


By Our Correspondent

RIYADH, April 22: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the Saudi capital here on Saturday at the start of a landmark visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries at political, strategic and economic levels.

Hours after President Hu’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, a raft of agreements were signed between the two countries. The two countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields, including energy, defence and security.

On Saturday, the two sides signed an agreement to enhance “security cooperation” between them. A contract for defence systems was also signed on the sidelines of President Hu’s meeting with Saudi leaders.

Several memoranda of understandings (MoUs) were also signed between the two states. These included an MoU on health affairs between the health ministries of the two countries and another on comprehensive trade cooperation between China Petro Chemica Corporation (SinoPec) and Saudi Aramco.

The visiting Chinese head of state and King Abdullah discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in Iraq and Palestine-Israel conflict, at their meeting on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Chinese president was earlier received at the airport by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz. During his three-day stay here, besides holding talks with King Abdullah, he would also meet other Saudi leaders and exchange views with them on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern. They will also discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia.

In his written statement delivered upon arrival at the airport, President Hu said Sino-Saudi relations had steadily progressed since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1990, and the Chinese side was satisfied with the fruitful results of bilateral cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, trade and culture.

He said China attached great importance to its relationship with Saudi Arabia and would work with the Saudi side to continuously push forward the development of bilateral cooperation.

Later President Hu held extensive discussions with King Abdullah. Issues of mutual interest were reportedly discussed during the meeting.

In January 2006, King Abdullah became the first Saudi monarch to visit China. Interestingly, the president reached Riyadh after visiting the US which was largely termed by analysts as an ‘unproductive’ visit.

The presence of Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi at the airport to receive President Hu underscored the importance of energy as a factor in the growing relationship between China and Saudi Arabia.

Mr Nuaimi was expected to attend the 10th International Energy Forum meeting in Doha on Saturday, but he chose to postpone the trip on account of the arrival of the Chinese president. He is now expected to be in Doha on Monday in time for the concluding session of the forum.

On Sunday, President Hu will fly to Dhahran to meet Saudi Aramco officials. President Hu is also scheduled to meet Saudi businessmen and visit the offices of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).



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[MOO]

This could get interesting in fact in the past the Chinese and the Kingdom of Saud has cooperated in the defense sales of ballistic missiles in the past, DF-3 2600km range missiles I believe hehe a very distructive weapon for war.


It would be nice if the Sauds could add some more artillery weaponry from the Chinese. More surface to surface missiles, upgrade radar sites, SAMs, armor etc.

 

[master_fx]

This could get interesting in fact in the past the Chinese and the Kingdom of Saud has cooperated in the defense sales of ballistic missiles in the past, DF-3 2600km range missiles I believe hehe a very distructive weapon for war.


It would be nice if the Sauds could add some more artillery weaponry from the Chinese. More surface to surface missiles, upgrade radar sites, SAMs, armor etc.

u think USA just gona stand aside and watch china armed Sauds???

 

[MOO]

u think USA just gona stand aside and watch china armed Sauds???

Hehe US couldnt do twat when China armed SK with ballistic missiles. More like being embarrassed an turn a blind eye when it happen

 

[bushsuck]

personally I don't see what the big deal is, middle easterners seem to have a knack to make weapons not work. SU-29 was "the thing" before gulf war, then it became "the joke", cuz all it ever did was fly stright, dive, throw bomb. some chinese are worried that chinese arms wouldn't sell anymore once the middle easterners get through with it, cuz they seem to use the weapon as fighting tools rather than stratigical resources to win a war.

 

[sigatoka]

personally I don't see what the big deal is, middle easterners seem to have a knack to make weapons not work.

The U.S. spends more than the rest of the world combined on defence, of course their capabilities will be very high. It is unfair to compare Middle Eastern militaries to that of U.S. and expect something other than the obvious.

 

[Kaiser]

This could get interesting in fact in the past the Chinese and the Kingdom of Saud has cooperated in the defense sales of ballistic missiles in the past, DF-3 2600km range missiles I believe hehe a very distructive weapon for war.


It would be nice if the Sauds could add some more artillery weaponry from the Chinese. More surface to surface missiles, upgrade radar sites, SAMs, armor etc.

Um no the chinese missiles that were sold to KSA where very obsolete and inaccurate. The missiles were so unaccurate that it lead western analysis to believe KSA was developing nukes

 

[sigatoka]

Um no the chinese missiles that were sold to KSA where very obsolete and inaccurate. The missiles were so unaccurate that it lead western analysis to believe KSA was developing nukes

The missiles give KSA the option if they develop nuclear weapons the ability to deliver them.

 

[melb4aust]

The missiles give KSA the option if they develop nuclear weapons the ability to deliver them.

But they were not actually targeting those missiles, they were after the nukes, those missiles have nothing to do with US they were thinking that they've actually developed nuclear weapons. They have also used chemical weapons terminology as well. Plus that was a whole dramma they were and are after nothing except oil.

 

[sigatoka]

They have also used chemical weapons terminology as well.

Ballistic missiles are not very good for delivering chemical weapons because it travels so fast and generates such intense heat that 99% of the payload is destroyed. Cruise missiles are much better for that task because of their slower speed.

Ballistic missiles are ideally suited for nuclear weapons or for large area targets such as airfields which are very heavily defended and cant be hit by aircrafts.

 

[Neo]

The missiles give KSA the option if they develop nuclear weapons the ability to deliver them.

Sigatoka,

I don't agree with you here. First of all the Saudi batteries are maintained and operated by Chinese personell so the Saudi don't even have the know how to operate the system.
If against all odds they develop nuclear capability in next 10-15 years, wich at current stage is nothing more than a bad fantasy, they will need another 5-8 years to miniaturise the device and then do the mating which again is a very very complicated matter requiring a lot of expertise. By the time all this happens the liquid fuelled batteries will be ready for the graveyard, totally outdated and obsolete.

Remember, the saudi's have the money but lack brains to develop or even to reverse engeneer technology.

 

[sigatoka]

Sigatoka,

IIf against all odds they develop nuclear capability in next 10-15 years, wich at current stage is nothing more than a bad fantasy, they will need another 5-8 years to miniaturise the device and then do the mating which again is a very very complicated matter requiring a lot of expertise. By the time all this happens the liquid fuelled batteries will be ready for the graveyard, totally outdated and obsolete.

They might just purchase warheads from Pak. in an emergency. It is possible if not very probable.

 

[Officer of Engineers]

What a load of pure conjecture. The DF-2 battery is thought to be armed with VX and is currently being maintained by some 50 Chinese Engineers on contract. There was never any intention of putting nukes on those things. The Saudis have not once trained on a launch exercise and it is doubtful those Chinese engineers can perform the task under combat conditions. These are liquid fuelled, extremely volitile rockets. It takes alot of training just to understand the safety procedures; never mind combat usage.

Unless the Saudis get off their lazy butts and start doing actual training on how to use these things; they're nothing more than target practice. The Saudis know this. Everyone knows this. That's why the Saudis ain't going to put nukes on these things.

 

[sigatoka]

What a load of pure conjecture. The DF-2 battery is thought to be armed with VX and is currently being maintained by some 50 Chinese Engineers on contract.

If these missiles are truely as useless as you claim, why dont they just scrap it then?

Arent there vaccines against VX that soldiers can get or is it just for Anthrax?

 

[Officer of Engineers]

Ask the Saudis. There's nothing wrong with the weapons. It's the Saudis. They'are not training.

There are defences against VX but I worry more about the launch site than about the target.