MISSILE SALE TO TURKEY CONFIRMED

Updated: 2015-03-19 07:24

By PENG YINING(China Daily)

System has been chosen for its cost-effectiveness and for technological
reasons, say analysts

China Central Television (CCTV) aired a footage showing Chinese
military’s drills with its newly-developed FD-2000 air defense missle
system. [Photo/CCTV]

China confirmed an agreement to sell the HQ-9 air defense missile
system to Turkey on Tuesday, during the Langkawi International Maritime
and Aerospace exhibition in Malaysia.

A representative of China National Precision Machinery Import & Export
Corporation said it was well-known that the Chinese FD-2000 system, a
HQ-9 model for export, was chosen for the contract with Turkey in 2013.

The representative said in an interview with China Central Television
that the FD-2000 is one of the most important products the corporation
brought to the LIMA, Asia’s largest defense and security exhibition.

Besides the FD-2000, Chinese military industry businesses also brought
the F-22P frigate and LPD dock landing ship to the exhibition.

When Turkey chose the China National Precision Machinery Import &
Export Corporation to co-produce a $4 billion long-range air and
missile defense system in September 2013, China sold air defense
weapons to a NATO member for the first time.

According to a report from CCTV’s website, the winning Chinese FD-2000
system beat the US Patriot, the Russian S-400 and the French-Italian
Eurosam Samp-T.

Turkish analysts said their choice of a Chinese firm was for
technological reasons as well as cost effectiveness. The contract
enables Turkey to have its own long-range missile defense system for
the first time, according to CCTV.

After Turkey announced the decision to award the contract to China on
Sept 26, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a few days
later that he expected Turkey to choose a system that was compatible
with those of other allies, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The United States expressed serious concerns to Turkey, saying the
Chinese missile defense system would not work with NATO systems,
Xinhua reported.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed hope that the
parties involved will view the normal military trade between China and
Turkey in an objective light and not politicize standard commercial
competition.

The Chinese government has all along adopted a prudent and responsible
attitude toward military trade cooperation with foreign countries,
she said.