Wednesday, June 14, 2006

U.S. bans transactions with 4 Chinese companies for aiding Iran weapons programs

USA Today:

Posted 6/13/2006 3:08 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday prohibited all transactions with four Chinese companies and one U.S. company for allegedly helping Iran acquire weapons of mass destruction and missiles capable of delivering them.

"The companies targeted today have supplied Iran's military and Iranian proliferators with missile-related and dual-use components," said Stuart Levey, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury.

He urged governments worldwide to take appropriate measures to ensure that their companies and financial institutions are not facilitating Iran's proliferation activities.

Three of the Chinese companies are Beijing Alite Technologies Company, Ltd; LIMMT Economic and Trade Company, Ltd and Great Wall Industry Corporation.

The company with U.S. connections is China National Precision Machinery Import/Export Corporation, whose U.S. representative is G.W. Aerospace, Inc., based in California.

The U.S. government has applied various sanctions against the four Chinese companies in the past. In 2004 the State Department sanctioned all four in accordance with the Iran Non-proliferation Act of 2000 for transferring equipment and technology to Iran.