US embassy cable - 05PARIS2603

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, ETTC, CH, FR, EUN 
SUBJECT: FRENCH DENY ANY PLANS TO SELL FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO 
CHINA 
 
REF: 4/12 FBIS REPORTS FROM TAIWAN NEWS AND HONG KONG 
 
     HSIANG KANG SHANG PAO 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, Reason 1 
.4 B/D 
 
1. (U) Reftel FBIS reports quoted Taiwan and Hong Kong press 
reports that France intends to sell 210 Mirage 200-9CS 
fighter aircraft, along with 1,200 MICA missiles and 180 
alternative engines, as part of a 12 billion euros defense 
trade package.  The sale allegedly was agreed to last 
December 2004.  The same report quotes unnamed French 
military sources as saying that 40 Chinese pilots are 
scheduled to receive training in France, as of June 2005. 
Additionally, the French defense firm Dassault, which 
manufactures the Mirage planes, is to sell 20 Atlantic ALF-3 
maritime patrol aircraft, according to the FBIS reports. 
 
2. (C) We contacted MFA and MOD officials who emphatically 
assured us that there was no truth to the press stories. 
Marc Abensour, MFA DAS-level director for Asia, including 
China, expressed surprise that we would even seek to verify 
such "unfounded rumors."  Abensour and Arnaud Barthelemy, 
special assistant to Political Director Stanislas de 
Laboulaye, reminded us that the EU Council last December had 
agreed that the EU would not take any action to change 
China's qualitative or quantitative capacities.  On April 14, 
Camille Grand, technical advisor to the Minister of Defense, 
also denied the allegations, adding that he had spoken to 
Dassault Aviation, which said that it did not have contacts 
with the Chinese on this issue. 
 
3. (U) Interestingly, on April 13, EADS co-chairman Hertrich 
was quoted in the French daily Le Figaro and in AFP as saying 
that the company would not sell arms to China, even if the EU 
were to lift its embargo on China, as EADS does not wish to 
jeopardize its commercial interests with the United States. 
LEACH