Is China the Achilles’ Heel of the US–Israel Defense Pact?

U.S. planners are concerned about potential security breaches, intellectual property theft, and dual-use technology transfers.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) accompanies Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) to view an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People on March 20, 2017 in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Commentary

As the United States and Israel continue their attacks on what remains of the radical Islamic regime in Iran, there are those in the Trump administration who have been wary of the significant technology relationship that China enjoys with Israel.

Three’s a Crowd

The U.S.–Israel defense relationship is among America’s closest and most strategically important alliances. Built over decades around shared geopolitical interests, democratic values, and robust military cooperation, this partnership has resulted in extensive defense collaboration. Co-development of advanced weapons systems is common between the two nations, as is intelligence sharing on shared threats.