The United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur.
WASHINGTON, Sep 21 (The CONNECT) – The United States has imposed curbs on Pakistan for working on China-aided long-range ballistic missiles programme.
The Department of State is taking action against five entities and one individual that have been involved in the proliferation of ballistic missiles and controlled missile equipment and technology.
Specifically, the Department of State is designating the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB) pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
RIAMB has worked with Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC) –which the United States assesses is involved in the development and production of Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missiles – to procure equipment for testing of large diameter rocket motors, including the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel, but also potentially for larger systems.
Additionally, the United States is imposing sanctions under the missile sanctions laws (the Arms Export Control Act and the Export Control Reform Act ) on three PRC-based entities, one PRC individual, and a Pakistani entity for ballistic missile proliferation activities: PRC-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Company, Universal Enterprise Limited, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited (aka Lontek); PRC individual Luo Dongmei (aka Steed Luo); and Pakistani-based entity Innovative Equipment.
These sanctions are being imposed because these entities and individual knowingly transferred equipment and technology controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex, in support of MTCR Category I missile programs, to a non-MTCR country.
They are called ballistic because, like the shell from a gun, they receive a brief but powerful initial impetus (from a rocket motor), then follow an unpowered ballistic trajectory after launching.
As today’s actions demonstrate, the United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur, Miller said.