Beijing - Moscow's cash-strapped arms manufacturers have found an eager market in China, keeping Russian factories humming and bolstering ties between the once-hostile neighbours, Russian analysts said yesterday. But differences remain over technology transfer, with China hoping for more deals allowing local manufacture of cutting-edge weaponry, while Russia holds tight to the secrets that make its military industry a world leader.
As the Russian Defence Minister, Mr Igor Sergeyev, meets his Chinese counterparts in Beijing this week, members of his delegation will be scrambling to nail down lucrative contracts for advanced fighter jets, submarines and air defence systems. Over the past three years, Russia has earned more than $1 billion annually from arms sales to China.