China demands US lift sanctions on firms (AP/chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2005-12-28 20:36
Chinese government on Wednesday demanded that the United States lift
sanctions imposed on six Chinese companies accused of supplying Iran with
missile technology or chemical arms material.
Qin Gang, Foreign
Ministry spokesman, answers a question at the ministry's routine press
briefing in Beijing this this December 27, 2005 file photo.
[fmprc.gov.cn] | The Chinese firms are barred from
receiving U.S. import licenses and from doing business with the American
government under penalties announced Tuesday by the U.S. State Department.
"We express strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the sanctions,"
the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We demand that the United
States change this mistaken action."
Qin Gang, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said China opposes the
US move of imposing sanctions on Chinese companies by force of its domestic
laws. He said the US move is detrimental to cooperation in the field of
preventing proliferation.
"We urge the US side to change this kind of wrong moves," Qin said.
Washington has repeatedly sanctioned Chinese companies accused of providing
missile and other weapons technology to Iran, Pakistan and other governments in
violation of international weapons controls.
The Foreign Ministry statement said Beijing has a "responsible attitude"
toward preventing weapons proliferation and has taken steps to tighten export
controls.
In making the announcement Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli
said the sanctions were based on "credible evidence," which he did not disclose.
The companies on the U.S. list were the China Aerotechnology Import Export
Corp.; military contractor China Northern Industries Corp.; Zibo Chemet
Equipment Co.; the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group; Ounion International Economic
and Technical Cooperative Ltd. and the Limmt Metallurgy and Minerals Co.
Employees who answered phone calls on Wednesday to those companies said they
had no information about possible sales to Iran.
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