Britain sign $170 million defense deal with China

A British consortium signed a contract here worth more than $170 million to refit Chinese Navy destroyers with Sea Dart missiles and advanced electronics, diplomatic sources said.

They described it as one of the biggest defense deals ever concluded by China with a Western country and a major coup for London toward narrowing a yawning trade gap. The consortium was led by Vosper Thorneycroft and British Aerospace. Vosper reportedly had been negotiating for more than two years.