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Arms Control and Nonproliferation Sanctions Against China
The United States and Japan have imposed sanctions on China and Chinese entities and individuals since 1987 for reasons related to arms control and nonproliferation, including:
- Chinese sales of anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran (US sanctions)
- Chinese sales of missiles and missile-related technologies (US sanctions)
- Chinese sales of chemical weapons-related technologies (US sanctions)
- Chinese nuclear testing (Japanese sanctions)
The United States has imposed nonproliferation-related sanctions against China seven times for missile-related sales (1987, 1991, 1993, 2001 and three times in 2003), five times for chemical weapon-related sales (1997, 2001 and four times in 2002) and once for nuclear exports (1985). The first missiles sanctions in 1987, for sales of anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran, were waived in 1988; the 1991 and 1993 missile sanctions were waived by the Clinton administration in return for Chinese pledges to abide by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 1992 (letter to US) and 1994 (joint US-China statement), respectively. The Bush administration has imposed sanctions eight times in two years, compared to the Clinton administration's two times in eight years.
For a table outlining the background and status of US nonproliferation-related sanctions against China, see:
For the US view on the use of economic sanctions, see: US Nonproliferation Sanction Legislation:There exists a wide range of US laws and legislation that cover the imposition of nonproliferation-related sanctions against supplier countries (including China). For an overview of such legislation, see:
Japanese Sanctions Against China:In May 1995, Japan suspended the grant portion of its foreign aid program to China for its continued nuclear weapon testing. Later, in August 1995, the Japanese Diet (legislative body) passed a resolution protesting China's testing and later that month, Japan froze government grants for the remainder of 1995. After China's July 1996 test, Japan considered extending the ban to include official soft loans (the majority of Japan's official funding for China), but refrained from such a move. Japan considered the resumption of aid and the two sides began negotiations on the fourth yen loan package to China for 1996-1998 (about $5.3 billion) in late 1996, after China's unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing in July 1996 and its signature of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in September 1996. On 28 March 1997, Japanese Foreign Minister stated that Japan would restore grant aid to China. China said that the aid was an expression of the friendly Sino-Japanese relations, and should not be linked to other issues.
China's Attitude Toward Arms Control/Nonproliferation Sanctions:
China has reacted strongly against the imposition of sanctions against it on arms control/nonproliferation grounds, arguing that this practice is not consistent with international law and is an example of attempted US "hegemony" in world affairs. This sentiment is reflected in a 1997 China Daily editorial, which stated: "the US government has increasingly resorted to economic sanctions to punish any country which dares to disobey American norms. This willful practice…has no support in international law." Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Huaqiu has referred to US sanctions against China as a "naked hegemonic act" contrary to the "basic norms governing international relations".
In a 14 October 1997 speech to the UN First Committee, Chinese Disarmament Ambassador stated: "No country has the right to impose its own domestic laws on the international community, nor should it impose or threaten to impose sanctions at will." [Statement by H.E. Sha Zukang, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China for Disarmament Affairs, at the First Committee of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 14 October 1997.]
In part as reaction to U.S. pressure, the Chinese government promulgated a comprehensive set of export controls in 2002. For more information on Chinese export controls see:
[China's Export Control Decrees and Regulations]
[Sources: "The Credibility Of China's Nonproliferation Pledges And United States Sanctions: 1984-1996," compiled by the minority staff, Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Summer 1996; Jeffrey Smith and Daniel Williams, Washington Post, 11 November 1993, pp. A39, A44; "CWC Agency Begins Work to Backdrop of Iran-China-US Row," Disarmament Diplomacy, June 1997, p. 49; Shirley A. Kan, "Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Current Policy Issues," CRS Issue Brief, Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress, 17 October 1996 and 22 September 1997 issues; William Dawkins, "Japan may resume China aid," Financial Times, 25 October 1996.]
[TABLE OF US NONPROLIFERATION-RELATED SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA]
[LEGISLATIVE BASIS FOR US SANCTIONS AGAINST SUPPLIER COUNTRIES]
[US NONPROLIFERATION SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA - STATEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS]
[JAPANESE SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA - STATEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS]
Updated: 09/23/2003
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or
its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by
MIIS.
