Chinese state media reports the Chinese government has expressed strong opposition to US sanctions on a Chinese military firm, from Xinhua:
The United States imposed the sanctions according to its domestic laws, an act that has seriously violated norms governing international relations and harmed China’s interests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the act, and it has lodged a solemn representation to the U.S. side, spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement.
“We urge the United States to immediately correct the wrongdoing, lift the groundlesssanctions on this company and its individuals, and stop actions that will hurt China’s interests and Sino-U.S. relations,” the spokesperson said.
China is committed to upholding the international non-proliferation regime, according to Hua, who added that the country has in place a set of export control laws and measures that fit in with international standards and with strict and effective law enforcement.
According to AP, the Chinese arms companies allegedly had deals with Iran, North Korea, and Syria. These sanctions come amid tensions with North Korea over the recent underground nuclear test as well as the violence in Syria:
The U.S. State Department on Monday said that Poly Technologies Inc. is among companies barred from dealing with the U.S. government or purchasing U.S. military hardware for two years. The company is part of a massive state-owned conglomerate.
“The U.S. should work together with China under the principle of ‘equality, mutual benefit and concerted efforts’ to promote practical cooperation on non-proliferation, instead of threatening sanctions at will or undermining the interests of the other side,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.
“We have never helped any countries or regions develop any banned weapons, nor have we exported or promised to export weapons or technologies to any countries or regions that are under United Nations Security Council Resolutions Sanctions. We hereby demand the U.S. side to respect the fact and immediately lift the sanctions,” Xinhua quoted the unnamed spokesman as saying.
The State Department notice said Poly Technologies was in violation of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act that sanctions persons and companies that transfer or sell those nations goods, services or technology related to weapons of mass destruction or ballistic and cruise missiles. The law cites items banned under international agreements such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime.
Poly Technologies Inc. has denied these claims saying it has never helped any countries or regions develop banned weapons. Aside from Poly Technologies Inc., the US has also imposed sanctions on several other Chinese firms, from Reuters:
A notice published on the Federal Register website marks at least the third time since 2006 that Li Fangwei, also known as Karl Lee, has faced U.S. penalties for supplying material and support to Iran’s missile development.
The notice said Li and a firm called Dalian Sunny Industries “have engaged in missile technology proliferation activities that require the imposition of missile sanctions” under the U.S. Arms Control Act and the Export Administration Act.
The other two Chinese firms, BST Technology and Trade Company andChina Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC), were on a list that also included companies from Belarus, Iran, Sudan, Syria andVenezuela.
A U.S. State Department official told Reuters Li and Dalian Sunny were being sanctioned “for proliferation to Iran.”
