In the current international situation, Israel, Ukraine, and the United States are often linked together.
However, both Israel and Ukraine have exported large amounts of advanced equipment to China in the past, making significant contributions to China's military modernization.
Despite later completely leaning towards the United States due to international political influence, the military technology China acquired from them continues to play a role.
Military cooperation between China and Israel peaked in the 1980s.
Although Israel is an ally of the United States, it maintains a strong degree of independence, with its influence on the United States sometimes exceeding that of the United States on Israel.
During the honeymoon period of Sino-US relations, military trade between China and Israel flourished against this backdrop.
Israel exported a variety of advanced military technologies to China, including the Python 3 infrared air-to-air missile, which is a highly advanced third-generation infrared missile with a maximum overload of up to 40G.
China, by introducing this technology, replicated the Thunderbolt-8 air-to-air missile and equipped it on the J-8 fighter, injecting new vitality into China's air-to-air missile development.
In addition to missiles, China also imported the EL/J-7-2032 plane gap pulse radar from Israel, improving the situational awareness capability of the J-7 fighter.
Even after the end of the honeymoon period between China and the US in the 1990s, military trade between China and Israel continued quietly, with Israel continuing to provide China with technology for the Python 4 and Harpy anti-radiation missiles.
However, an important arms sales plan between China and Israel was terminated due to US intervention.
China originally planned to purchase Phalcon early warning radar from Israel to modify IL-76 aircraft, but US pressure led Israel to terminate the order, resulting in Israel compensating China with a $350 million penalty.
Nevertheless, this event prompted China to independently develop early warning aircraft technology, eventually leading to the successful launch of the KJ-2000.
Compared to Israel's assistance in tactical equipment to China, Ukraine almost handed over its entire arsenal to China.
China imported many important weapons from Ukraine, the most famous of which is the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, now known as the Liaoning.
In addition, China also acquired the entire technological legacy of Soviet aircraft carrier development from the Ukrainian Black Sea Shipyard, which played a key role in the development of China's aircraft carrier technology.
During the development of the J-15 carrier-based aircraft, China did not simply replicate the Russian Su-33, but developed it based on the technology of the T-10K-7 prototype acquired from Ukraine.
The J-15 is actually a sibling model of the Su-33, not a replica.
In addition to aircraft carrier technology, Ukraine also laid the foundation for China's large aircraft projects.
The WS-18 engines carried by today's Y-20A and H-6K/N bombers are replicas and improvements based on the D-30 engines designed by Ukrainian expert Vasily Zhinchenko.
In the 1990s, Zhinchenko was invited by China to participate in the Double Engine Project, and his another masterpiece, the D-36 turbofan engine technology, also served as a reference blueprint for China's WS-20 engine.
Military technology cooperation projects between China and Ukraine cover various fields such as main battle tank power packs, helicopter fire control, and turbofan engines.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the technology and equipment China obtained from Ukraine helped China avoid decades of detours in military technology development.
From this perspective, China's attitude towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict is indeed complex.
On the one hand, Ukraine's assistance to China cannot be ignored, but on the other hand, Ukraine's turn towards the United States has led it down the path of Nazism and fascism, which China cannot accept.
During the Hong Kong riots in 2019, there were even signs of covert incitement by the Ukrainian intelligence service, all of which are deeply regrettable.
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