Chengdu Best New Materials, Jibo Elim Trading Company, and Russia's Aviayazafchast Targeted
Suspected of Providing WMD and Missile Manufacturing Technology
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of State announced additional sanctions on five companies, including two Chinese firms and three Russian firms, for violating the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act. These companies are known to have contributed to the manufacturing or acquisition of weapons of mass destruction technologies by Iran, North Korea, and Syria through various trades and collaborations.
According to Russian TASS news agency on the 25th (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced through the Federal Register that it will impose sanctions on two Chinese companies, Chengdu Best New Materials and Jibo Elim Trading Company, and three Russian companies, Aviagazchast, Elecon, Nilco Group, along with their subsidiaries, for violations of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act.
The U.S. Department of State did not specify the exact violations committed by these companies but stated that sanctions were imposed based on the assessment that these companies likely materially contributed to the manufacturing or technological development of weapons of mass destruction or cruise and ballistic missiles.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of State released a report claiming that China enabled North Korea's nuclear weapons development. According to the American political media Axios, on the 17th, the U.S. Department of State published a report titled "Elements of the China Challenge." The report pointed out, "China voted in favor of all ten UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea sanctions but weakened their effectiveness," and "continues to support Pyongyang's dictatorship through food and oil supplies."
Under these sanctions, these companies are prohibited from entering into any contracts or receiving support from the U.S. government, and all military goods trade is banned. The Department of State announced that these sanctions took effect on the 6th of this month and will remain in place for the next two years.
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