WASHINGTON — The United States has renewed sanctions on China for
arms exports to Iran.
The Bush administration determined that four Chinese companies
continued to supply technology and components to Iran's military and
strategic programs, Middle East Newsline reported. All of the companies have already been sanctioned by the
United States.
"The companies targeted today have supplied Iran's military and Iranian
proliferators with missile-related and dual-use components," Treasury
Undersecretary Stuart Levey said.
On Tuesday, the Treasury Department reported sanctions on Beijing Alite
Technologies Co., LIMMT Economic and Trade Co., China Great Wall
Industry Corp., and China National Precision Machinery Import/Export Corp.
Under an executive order issued in 2005, the federal government would freeze
the U.S. assets of these Chinese companies and ban Americans from dealing
with them.
The Chinese firms were said to have cooperated with Iran's Aerospace
Industries Organization and the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group. Officials
said China Great Wall and China National
Precision have been major suppliers to Iran's Shihab-3 intermediate-range
ballistic missile program.
A fifth company sanctioned is based in the United States. G.W.
Aerospace, based in Torrance, Calif., represents China Great Wall Industry.
Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization is a subsidiary of the Defense
Ministry and manages Teheran's missile programs. Shahid Bakeri, an affiliate
of Aerospace Industries Organization, produces the Fateh-110 solid-fuel
rocket, with a range of 200 kilometers, and the Fajr-class series of
rockets, with ranges of up to 100 kilometers. Farj has been supplied to the
Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah in Lebanon.
"Both systems are capable of being armed with at least chemical
warheads," Treasury said.
Officials said the Chinese companies also provided technology and
components to Iran's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group. They said Shahid Hemmat
has been responsible for Iran's Shihab-3 program.
In 2005, the Bush administration launched a drive to block funding and
technology to strategic weapons programs in Iran, North Korea and Syria.
Chinese contractors were also said to have helped Syrian Scud D medium-range
missile program.
"Governments worldwide are urged to take appropriate measures to ensure
that their companies and financial institutions are not facilitating Iran's
proliferation activities," Levey said.
