China denies giving Iran air defence systems after conflict with Israel
Beijing responds to media reports by saying it ‘never exports weapons to countries engaged in warfare’
Citing an Arab official familiar with the intelligence, the British-based platform Middle East Eye reported on Monday that Chinese air defence equipment had been sent to Iran after it struck a truce with Israel last month.
One source told the platform that China – the biggest recipient of Iran’s oil exports – had received payment in oil shipments, but the report did not say how many surface-to-air missile systems Iran had received since the end of the fighting.
China’s embassy in Israel denied the report on Tuesday, telling the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom it “never exports weapons to countries engaged in warfare and maintains strict controls on the export of dual-use items”.
It added: “China firmly opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, and continuously strengthens its enforcement capabilities regarding non-proliferation.”
China’s defence ministry has been asked for comment.