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Posted 12/28/05 09:25 |
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| China Opposes U.S. Sanctions, Demands Trade Ban Lift By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING China reacted angrily on Dec. 28 to the United States imposing sanctions on six Chinese companies for allegedly supplying Iran with military equipment and technology, demanding the trade bans be lifted. ”We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. government sanctioning Chinese companies,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. ”The Chinese government has always adopted a serious and responsible attitude on the anti-proliferation issue, and has adopted a series of effective measures to strengthen export management and control.”
The U.S. move was not beneficial to the two countries’ cooperation in the non-proliferation field, the ministry warned. ”We request the United States change this wrongful action,” it said. The United Sates announced on Tuesday that the six Chinese companies, along with two others from India and one from Austria, had been sanctioned for weapons and technology transfers to Iran. U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters the entities were sanctioned based on “credible information” that they transferred equipment and technologies to Iran. ”They are serial offenders,” Ereli said, adding that missile builder China North Industries Corp. (NORINCO) was a repeat offender. The sanctions, which ban the companies from doing business with the U.S. government and U.S. companies, were based on the Iran Non-Proliferation Act of 2000, which aims at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The United States has accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear arms under the cover of its civilian nuclear energy program. NORINCO, a leading Chinese defense industry conglomerate which has had U.S. sanctions placed on it previously, said Wednesday the accusations were groundless and demanded it be allowed to trade freely. ”It is totally baseless and extremely false that the U.S. government has imposed sanctions several times against NORINCO since May 23, 2003, to which we are strongly opposed,” the company said in a statement on its website. NORINCO said it “strictly” followed the laws and regulations of the Chinese government regarding non-proliferation and “rigorously” complied with applicable international treaties. The company argued that the ban on trade with U.S. firms should be lifted because such trade has “contributed much” to the U.S. economy. ”We strongly demand that U.S. government repeal all the sanctions against NORINCO, eliminate the negative influence caused by sanctions in a timely fashion and turn the trade and economic ties between two sides back on track and move forward,” the company statement said. Another Chinese company sanctioned, the public company China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (Catic), did not make anyone available for comment when contacted by AFP Wednesday. The other Chinese companies hit were the chemical equipment group Zibo Chemet Equipment Corp., Hongdu Aviation, Ounion International Economic and Technical Cooperative Ltd, and Limmt Metallurgy and Minerals. They could not be reached for comment. Two Indian chemical groups were also cited -- Sabero Organics and Sandhya Organics -- as well as Austrian firearms maker Steyr-Mannlicher. The sanctions took effect December 23. Weapons proliferation was a sensitive issue in US-China relations but in recent years tensions appear to have eased as the two countries’ trade increases and they step up cooperation in other areas, including convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
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