U.S.: China has not slowed missile tech exports to Middle East

World Tribune ^ | 1/21/02

[truthandlife]

U.S. officials said Beijing continues to export missile subsystems and technology to the Middle East in the face of the U.S. war on terrorism and in violation of its pledge in 2000 to stop such proliferation activity.

The Bush administration has not detected any slowdown in missile technology exports by China to clients in the Middle East, U.S. officials said. Such nations include Iran and Libya.

China also exports missile components and technology to neighboring North Korea, the officials said. In turn, North Korea sells version of these subsystems to such countries as Egypt, Iran, Libya and Syria, Middle East Newsline reported.

"China continues to be one of [the] world's key sources for missile and WMD-related technology, including to some terrorist sponsoring states," Deputy Defense Undersecretary Lisa Bronson said on Jan. 17. "Chinese firms have provided some important missile related items and assistance to countries like Iran, Libya, and North Korea."

Ms. Bronson, who is defense undersecretary for technology security policy and proliferation, told the U.S.-China commission that Washington is concerned by what she termed was Beijing's said "poor record" on proliferation. She said Chinese companies have also supported nonconventional programs in so-called rogue states. These include Iran, Iraq, Syria and North Korea. She did not elaborate.

"Chinese entities have provided extensive support in the past to Pakistan's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and have supported some nuclear and chemical programs in rogue states," she said.

The Commerce Department has cited 19 Chinese entities believed to pose proliferation risks. Huawei Technologies has been accused by Washington of helping Iraq improve its air-defense system.

The Pentagon official said the United States would continue to trade with Beijing. But she said this must fit into what she termed was "the larger national security and foreign policy agenda set by the president, who has said that 'America's next priority to prevent mass terror is to protect against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them.'"