Washington: By providing nuclear and
missile technology to countries like Iran and Pakistan, China is adding to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a Congressional report has said.
The report further said that such activities have continued to raise questions about China`s commitment to non-proliferation and the need for US sanctions.
"China has taken some steps to mollify US and other
foreign concerns about its role in weapons proliferation.
Nonetheless, supplies from China have aggravated trends that
result in ambiguous technical aid, more indigenous
capabilities, longer-range missiles, and secondary
(re-transferred) proliferation," the Congressional Research
Service (CRS), said in a report to the lawmakers.
According to unclassified intelligence reports
submitted to Congress, China has been a "key supplier of
technology, particularly PRC (People`s Republic of China)
entities providing nuclear and missile-related technology to
Pakistan and missile-related technology to Iran," said CRS
report.
CRS is an independent research wing of the US Congress
and prepares internal reports for US lawmakers on issues of
their interest.
"PRC proliferation activities have continued to raise
questions about China`s commitment to non-proliferation and
the need for US sanctions," said the report.
The previous Bush Administration imposed sanctions on
20 occasions on various PRC "entities" (including state-owned
entities) for troublesome transfers related to missiles and
chemical weapons to Pakistan, Iran, or perhaps another
country, including repeated sanctions on some "serial
proliferators."
"Skeptics question whether China`s cooperation in
weapons non-proliferation warrants the US pursuit of closer
ties, even as sanctions were required against PRC technology
transfers. Some criticize the imposition of US sanctions
targeting PRC "entities" but not the government. Others doubt
the effectiveness of any stress on sanctions over diplomacy,"
the report said.
Among those sanctions, in September 2001, the
Administration imposed missile proliferation sanctions that
effectively denied satellite exports, after a PRC company
transferred technology to Pakistan, despite the promise of
2000.
In September 2003, the State Department imposed
additional sanctions on NORINCO, a defence industrial entity,
effectively denying satellite exports to China. However, for
six times, the State Department waived this sanction for the
ban on imports of other PRC government products related to
missiles, space systems, electronics, and military aircraft,
and issued a permanent waiver in 2007.
Since 2009, the Obama Administration has imposed
sanctions on six occasions on multiple PRC entities for
missile or other weapon proliferation, the report said.
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