This is the second delay of such a visit. The first one happened in late March 2007, after Sergei Ivanov stepped down as defense minister and was appointed first deputy prime minister. His successor, Anatoly Serdyukov, who previously headed the Federal Taxation Service, needed time to gain insight into Defense Ministry affairs.

However, experts believe the decision to call off the defense minister's visits to China has more far-reaching implications.

Although the countries maintain close military ties -- including the August international counter-terrorist exercise Peace Mission 2007, which involved the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as 2,000 Russian and 1,700 Chinese servicemen -- bilateral military-technical cooperation has slowed down in the last few years. The Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission, which had previously discussed this issue once or twice a year in Beijing and Moscow, has not met even once in the last two years.

Moreover, the Russian defense industry is not fulfilling any major Chinese contracts at present. The Chinese navy has received four Project 956-E Sovremenny-class destroyers featuring 3M-80E Moskit -- SS-N-22 Sunburn -- supersonic anti-ship missiles, as well as two Project 877-EKM Varshavyanka -- Kilo -- class diesel-electric attack and two Project 636 Amur -- improved Kilo -- class submarines with Club-C anti-ship missile systems built at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg.

Russia has also delivered all Sukhoi Su-27MKK fighter assembly kits, as well as AL-31F engines and avionics, to an aircraft plant in Shengyang and fulfilled all contracts as regards the S-300PMU and Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile systems.

The Chkalov Aircraft Production Plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, failed to manufacture several dozen Ilyushin Il-76MD Candid strategic transport planes for the Chinese armed forces. Moscow was also unable to relocate production to its Ulyanovsk Aircraft Plant in the Volga region.

Chinese orders, which recently accounted for up to 40 percent of Russian arms export volumes worth $6.5 billion, are now dwindling. Moreover, Russia and China have not signed any new contracts to date.

Beijing says it no longer needs relatively ineffective Russian weapons without the relevant production licenses, and that Moscow should start selling more advanced, hard-hitting and high-tech weaponry and military equipment. Most importantly, China wants to launch their joint production, to receive state-of-the-art defense technologies, inventions and composite materials.

According to Russian experts, the General Armaments Department of the People's Liberation Army wants to buy large batches of Russian-made Shmel -- Bumblebee -- rocket infantry flame-throwers, 120mm Nona-SVK and Vena self-propelled guns, 152mm Msta-S self-propelled artillery systems, 300mm Smerch -- Tornado -- multiple-launch rocket systems -- MLRSs, T-90S main battle tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers -- APCs, Mil Mi-28N Havoc and Kamov Ka-50 Hokum "Black Shark" attack helicopters, various types of three-dimensional radars, naval Shtil-1 R-29RM -- SS-N-23 -- surface-to-air missiles on vertical launchers, as well as electronic counter-measures -- ECM -- systems, Ka-27 and Helix Ka-28 ship-borne helicopters, know-how for manufacturing fourth-generation and fifth-generation aircraft engines, highly alloyed steels and other materials.

(Next: Why Russia won't sell)

(Nikita Petrov is a military commentator. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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