ACCESSION NUMBER:220728
FILE ID:EP-307
DATE:03/25/92
TITLE:U.S. LIFTS MISSILE SANCTIONS ON CHINA (03/25/92)
TEXT:*EPF307 03/25/92 *
U.S. LIFTS MISSILE SANCTIONS ON CHINA
(Article on MTCR, lifting of sanctions) (510)
By Jane A. Morse
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- The Bush administration has lifted sanctions imposed on China
last June because of transactions by two Chinese companies involving
1issile technology covered by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
Guidelines.
The sanctions were lifted March 23 as a show of American good faith in
China's promise to abide by the MTCR Guidelines and parameters. China
indicated its agreement on the guidelines last November during the visit of
Secretary of State James Baker to Beijing. On February 1, U.S. officials
received a letter from China's Foreign Minister Quan Qichen confirming
China's written commitment.
China's acceptance of MTCR Guidelines has been hailed by State Department
Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler as "an important step forward in securing
Chinese support for ballistic missile nonproliferation." The MTCR
Guidelines are "the key multinational effort to limit ballistic missile
proliferation," she said.
Secretary Baker said that China's written assurances on this matter are
"real progress -- but progress we must monitor very closely in the months
and years ahead."
The State Department emphasized that it will not slacken its efforts to
monitor either missile transfers worldwide, or Chinese missile and missile
technology export practices. Transfers of missile technology covered by
the MTCR Guidelines will continue to be subject to sanctions in accordance
with U.S. law.
With the lifting of the sanctions against China, U.S. firms doing business
there are encouraged to pursue sales as they did before June 1991.
However, license applications for sales of dual-use items, as covered under
the MTCR Annex Two, to China Great Wall Industry Corporation or China
Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation cannot be considered
without a special national security waiver from the U.S. government.
In discussing the matter before the House Appropriations Foreign Operations
Subcommittee in February, Baker noted that the Chinese, in agreeing to
follow MTCR Guidelines, specifically agreed to apply the guidelines to
transfers of the M-9 and M-11 missiles. The destabilizing effect of
earlier transfers of these missiles from China to the Middle East had been
the source of serious U.S. concern.
Baker added that the United States is not shipping technology to China nor
promoting technology transfer to China. Furthermore, the United States is
not at this time selling weapons to China.
The purpose of the MTCR Guidelines is to limit the risks of nuclear
proliferation by controlling transfers that could contribute to nuclear
weapons delivery systems other than manned aircraft. The guidelines do not
come under international law, as does the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
But adherence to the Guidelines is an important contribution to
international peace and security. The United States agreed to act in
accordance with the Guidelines in 1987.
Generally speaking, the Guidelines restrict or prohibit the transfer of
equipment and technology related to missile systems capable of delivering
at least a 500 kilogram payload to a range of at least 300 kilometers. The
Guidelines also apply to the equipment and technology required for
specifically designed facilities needed to produce these systems.
NNNN
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