The spotlight is on Chinese weapons this week. The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration has gathered evidence of Chinese companies helping Iran develop its missile technology and nuclear weapons. One U.S. official associated with this investigation said the companies may be acting without the knowledge of the Chinese government.
UN sanctions currently restrict international companies from investing in Iran’s nuclear and weapons programs. If the allegations are true, several Chinese companies are in violation of the sanctions but it is unclear how they will be punished.
U.S. officials provided a “significant list” of Chinese companies and banks still doing business in Iran during a visit to Beijing last month. Washington faces a serious challenge in persuading China to wind down investments in Iran’s energy sector and nuclear program. China is now the only country with major investments in Iran’s energy sector.
To make matters worse, a special UN investigative panel presented a report on Darfur to the Security Council that shines light on a potentially illegal weapons trade between Beijing and Khartoum. The current round of UN sanctions prohibits the Sudanese government from importing weapons for its military campaign in the Darfur region. Recently however, investigators discovered Chinese bullet casings at the sites of numerous attacks on UN and African Union peacekeepers. Beijing has vehemently denied allegations that its weapons are being used in Darfur and insisted that the report be rewritten.
Under the current round of UN sanctions, Sudan is permitted to import weapons as long as they are not used in the Darfur campaign. As expected, the government in Khartoum has repeatedly skirted the rules.
Investigators told the UN Security Council that Sudanese government forces have used more than a dozen types of Chinese ammunition against rebels in Darfur. Unidentified assailants also used Chinese bullets during several recent attacks on peacekeepers. These munitions have fueled a bloody conflict in which over 300,000 people have been killed and almost three million driven from their homes.
For more on China in Iran, see the Washington Post and the Sydney Morning Herald. For more on China in Sudan, see Foreign Policy.
