- WASHINGTON (MENL) -- The
United States has concluded that China and North Korea have coordinated
in their efforts to advance Iran's missile and weapons of mass destruction
programs.
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- U.S. officials said the intelligence community has determined
that China and North Korea have cooperated in the production and delivery
of components for missile and WMD programs to a range of Middle East clients.
They said in many cases China, which last year announced export controls
on military and dual-use technologies, has produced the components and
exported them through North Korea to avoid U.S. sanctions.
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- In other cases, the officials said, North Korea markets
missile and WMD systems and components to Middle East clients. The systems
are then directed through China and Pakistan where they avoid U.S. monitoring
of North Korean ports.
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- The officials said the determination has led to a decision
to impose sanctions on Chinese companies found to have be cooperating with
North Korea in the fields of missile and WMD. They said the Bush administration,
after a lengthy debate within the National Security Council and State Department,
has approved the imposition of new sanctions in an effort to demonstrate
a tougher policy toward Beijing.
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- http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2003/july/07_07_1.html
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