Israel’s got the defense technology. China is in the market. But Israeli defense executives are wary of getting their hands sullied again, burned once by the US looking warily over its shoulder at advanced weapon sales it forced Israel to cancel.

Nevertheless, when Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China arrives in Israel at the end of the week on an official visit, it’s clear that times may be changing.

Ostensibly, Chen is coming “to exchange views with the governmental and military leadership on bilateral military ties, and international and regional security situation,” according to a statement from Beijing

“I don’t think that the expansion of Israel-China relations or Israeli arms sales to China in general is going to damage US-Israel relations,” Prof. Barry Rubin, director of Herzliya Interdisciplinary Institute’s Center for Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA), told The Media Line.

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