Posted on 06/25/2005 9:23:01 AM PDT by Willie Green
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The razor-thin sheets of film looked as benign as tin foil. But they were intercepted on their way to the Great Wall Industry Corp., a Chinese aerospace company, and in their neat brown cardboard package they illustrate the conundrum China presents for U.S. military planners.
The foil actually was Kapton, a substance used as a thermal insulator for satellites and rockets. Kapton is a "dual-use" item, one that can be used both for civilian and military purposes, such as in ballistic missiles. Permission to export it is required by the U.S. government.
The exporting company, Valtex International Corp. of Palo Alto, Calif., tried to skirt the law three years ago by mismarking a shipping label after the government denied its exports on two attempts.
The Valtex case is one of a growing number of export-enforcement actions involving Chinese companies and agents intent on acquiring U.S. military technology. (Valtex and its president pleaded guilty in February, and last month they were given probation, ordered to pay $427,000 and banned from making exports for three years).
Such incidents underscore the inherent tension within current U.S. China policy, one that keenly promotes robust trade in hopes that it will lead to democratic reforms while trying to keep China's growing military might - and regional ambitions - in check......
(Excerpt) Read more at bradenton.com ...
ping
Better than nothing, I suppose, but why isn't someone doing jail time?
Has "aiding the enemy" become an obsolete concept?
SO: They arrived with this notice:
MAY BE AN EXPORT_CONTROLLED COMMODITY.
On the data sheet:
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHINA
Sending our key industries over to China was about as foolish of decision as deciding to also make them to be the largest wealthy totalitarian state in the world's history.
Once upon a time, the Communists argued that a capitalist would gladly sell them the rope with which to hang the capitalists.
It appears they were correct.
Now let's all grasp ourselves in Michael Jackson's inimitable style, and simper "Lower prices for consumers!"
Why Chinese go through all this smuggling efforts? If they ask their freetrader friends in US, the whole production base of Kapton will be moved to China!
....followed by the HQ of Unocal.
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