US sanctions China, North Korea and Russia entities for weapons proliferation
- The State Department says Chinese firm Zhengzhou Nanbei Instrument Equipment supplied Syria with controlled equipment
- Two Russian companies and a North Korean entity were also sanctioned for transferring sensitive items to Pyongyang’s missile programme
The US has imposed sanctions on a Chinese company for supplying Syria with equipment controlled by a chemical and biological weapons non-proliferation regime known as the Australia Group.
The State Department said on Thursday that the sanctions on Zhengzhou Nanbei Instrument Equipment Co Ltd underscored Beijing’s shortcomings in implementing export controls and its non-proliferation track record.
Two Russian companies and a North Korean entity were also sanctioned for transferring sensitive items to North Korea’s missile programme, the department said.
It named the Russian entities as the Ardis Group of Companies LLC (Ardis Group) and PFK Profpodshipnik LLC.
The North Korean entity targeted for sanctions was named as the Second Academy of Natural Science Foreign Affairs Bureau.
In addition, Russian national Igor Aleksandrovich Michurin and North Korean national Ri Sung-chol were also sanctioned, the State Department said.
The sanctions announcement came on the same day North Korea said it tested a new, powerful type of intercontinental ballistic missile.
“These measures are part of our ongoing efforts to impede the DPRK’s ability to advance its missile programme and they highlight the negative role Russia plays on the world stage as a proliferator to programmes of concern,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.
Author: Reuters, SCMP