Author: Tahir Mirza
Publication: Dawn, Karachi
Date: November 22, 2000
The United States on
Tuesday announced sanctions under the Missile Control Technology regime
against the Pakistani Ministry of Defence and the Space and Upper Atmosphere
Research Organization (SUPARCO) while lifting similar sanctions against
China.
The sanctions were announced
by acting Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher at a news briefing
on Tuesday afternoon. He said the sanctions would be for two years
during which all commercial contacts with the entities concerned would
be frozen.
In reply to a question,
Mr Boucher indicated that the US would be prepared to discuss a waiver
with Pakistan. The new sanctions also apply to Iran, which along
with Pakistan has been accused by the US of receiving missile technology
development help from China.
Asked whether it was
not odd that China, which had allegedly transferred missile technology,
was being taken off the hook while sanctions were being imposed on Pakistan
and Iran, Mr Boucher said it was not a question of taking anyone off the
hook or putting anyone on the hook. The US was concerned only with
controlling the transfer of ballistic missile technology from any one country
to another. Asked whether India, with its large missile arsenal,
figured in US concerns in this context, Mr Boucher said India should welcome
the assurances given by China that no further transfers of missile technology
would take place.
In his statement announcing
the lifting of sanctions against China, Mr Boucher said in consideration
of Beijing's commitment to strengthen its missile related export control
system, "we have decided to waive economic sanctions required by US law
for past assistance by Chinese entities to missile programmes in Pakistan
and Iran."
AFP adds: Washington
will now resume processing and issuing licenses for commercial space cooperation
between US and Chinese companies, notably allowing once again launches
of US satellites from China, he said.
Processing and issuance
of such licenses have been barred since February under the now-waived sanctions.
In addition, frozen discussions
between Washington and Beijing on extending a 1995 agreement on international
trade and commercial satellite launch services would resume "as soon as
possible," he said.
Boucher stressed that
the waiver applied only to sanctions imposed for past violations of US
law regarding the transfer of missiles and related technology and that
Washington reserved the right to impose sanctions for any possible future
transactions.
"China's statement includes
broad new commitments on nonproliferation and security imports but its
value ultimately will depend on whether those commitments are implemented
fully and conscientiously," he said.
Nonetheless, he said
Washington "welcomed" the statement.
A senior US official
said the decision to waive the sanctions on China while imposing them on
Pakistan and Iran was not meant to reward or punish any nation but to encourage
non-proliferation efforts.
In Pakistan and Iran,
the United States imposed sanctions against various government agencies
and entities, including the ministries of defence in both countries, that
received the Chinese assistance, Boucher said.
In Pakistan, two-year
bans on the import of certain US technologies and awarding of US government
contracts were imposed against the defence ministry, the Space and Upper
Atmospheric Research Commission and their related units, he said.
In addition, all imports
from those agencies into the United States are banned for the two-year
period.
In Iran, sanctions are
imposed against the defence ministry, the Armed Forces Logistics Command
and the Defence Industries Organization and their related units, Boucher
said.
However, he noted that
the new sanctions would have little practical effect on either country
because of existing restrictions on Iran, including the ongoing US embargo
on Tehran, as well as those against Pakistan after their 1998 nuclear tests.
"The new sanctions will
actually have very limited economic effect, but they do send a strong signal
that the United States opposes these countries' missiles programmes," he
said.
The Chinese foreign ministry
statement, released by the official Xinhua news agency shortly before Boucher
spoke and distributed to reporters at the State Department, outlined what
US officials said was a comprehensive commitment addressing Washington's
proliferation concerns.
In it, Beijing said it
"has no intention to assist in any way, any country in the development
of ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons."
In addition, China pledged
to develop an export control list of missile and missile technology items
for which special permits would be required should Chinese companies want
to sell abroad.
Beijing also vowed to
"exercise special scrutiny and caution" on missile-related material not
included on the list, the statement said.
