CHINA CONDUCTS MILITARY EXCHANGES WITH MIDEASTLONDON [MENL] -- China has reported major military exchanges with Middle East states.
A Chinese government report said the major exchanges took place in 2003 and 2004 with the militaries of Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia was not cited.
The government report, entitled "China National Defense in 2004," cited Egypt as having conducted the most number of high-level meetings with China's military. Chinese military leaders hosted Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi in September 2004 and a month earlier China's air force sent a senior commander to meet the Egyptian Air Force.
Egypt and China were also said to have discussed defense and military cooperation. The report, released in late December 2004, cited the visit of China's vice chairman of the Central Military Commission in July 2004. No details were provided.