China denies

    China denied Thursday published reports it had agreed to sell its homegrown fighter jets to Iran, saying no talks had taken place. Iran has signed a deal with China to buy two squadrons of J-10 fighter planes that are based on Israeli technology, the Russian news agency Novosti reported Tuesday. The 24 aircraft are based on technology and components provided to China by Israel following the cancellation of the Lavi project in the mid-1980s. The engines of the J-10 are Russian-made. "It's not true, it is an irresponsible report," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters. "China has not had talks with Iran on J-10 jets."(19,49)