Changes

==NORINCO==

==NORINCO==

In [[1994]], some employees of Norinco came under federal investigation from both the [[FBI]] as well as the [[BATF]] after a successful sting dubbed “Operation Dragon Fire.” In May of 1996, in what was called "the largest seizure of fully operational automatic weapons in U.S. history,"<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,135999,00.html]</ref> 14 individuals and an [[Atlanta, Georgia]] company were indicted for the unlicensed importation and sale of 2000 [[AK-47]]'s into the United States. [[U.S. Customs]] agents posing as arms traffickers convinced a group of Chinese arms dealers, including three Norinco representatives, that they were in the market to buy guns for [[drug ring]]s and [[street gang]]s.<ref>[http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/misc/smuggle.html]</ref>  "The defendants offered the government undercover agents more sophisticated weapons, including hand-held rocket launchers, mortars, anti-aircraft missiles, silenced machine guns and even tanks," said Wayne Yamashita of the U.S. Customs Service.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/US/9605/23/china.arms/]</ref> The Customs Service discovered during the investigation that these weapons were bound for [[Oakland, California]] street gangs.<ref>[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]</ref> According to an [[affidavit]] signed by two of the undercover agents involved in the investigation, representatives from Norinco offered to sell urban gangs shoulder-held missile launchers capable of downing a large commercial airliner.

In 1994, some employees of Norinco came under federal investigation from both the [[FBI]] as well as the [[BATF]] after a successful sting dubbed “Operation Dragon Fire.” In May of 1996, in what was called "the largest seizure of fully operational automatic weapons in U.S. history,"<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,135999,00.html]</ref> 14 individuals and an [[Atlanta, Georgia]] company were indicted for the unlicensed importation and sale of 2000 [[AK-47]]'s into the United States. [[U.S. Customs]] agents posing as arms traffickers convinced a group of Chinese arms dealers, including three Norinco representatives, that they were in the market to buy guns for [[drug ring]]s and [[street gang]]s.<ref>[http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/misc/smuggle.html]</ref>  "The defendants offered the government undercover agents more sophisticated weapons, including hand-held rocket launchers, mortars, anti-aircraft missiles, silenced machine guns and even tanks," said Wayne Yamashita of the U.S. Customs Service.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/US/9605/23/china.arms/]</ref> The Customs Service discovered during the investigation that these weapons were bound for [[Oakland, California]] street gangs.<ref>[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]</ref> According to an [[affidavit]] signed by two of the undercover agents involved in the investigation, representatives from Norinco offered to sell urban gangs shoulder-held missile launchers capable of downing a large commercial airliner.

In August 2003, the Bush administration imposed sanctions on Norinco for allegedly selling missile-related goods to [[Iran]].<ref>[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]</ref>  While not formally joining the multinational effort to restrict the proliferation of missiles, China did commit in 2000 not to assist in any way the development by other countries of [[MTCR]]-class missiles.  Neither the Chinese government nor Norinco has denied doing business with Iranian companies, although they did deny that it was for missile related purposes at the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, Iran’s key manufacturer of ballistic and non ballistic missiles.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2931154.stm ][http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/tehran-hemat.htm] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/18902.htm] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2931154.stm ]</ref> Norinco has called the sanctions "groundless and unjustified" and "entirely unreasonable."<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/200306/06/eng20030606_117779.shtml][http://www.norinco.com/c1024/english/newscenter/press_03.html]</ref>

In August 2003, the Bush administration imposed sanctions on Norinco for allegedly selling missile-related goods to [[Iran]].<ref>[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]</ref>  While not formally joining the multinational effort to restrict the proliferation of missiles, China did commit in 2000 not to assist in any way the development by other countries of [[MTCR]]-class missiles.  Neither the Chinese government nor Norinco has denied doing business with Iranian companies, although they did deny that it was for missile related purposes at the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, Iran’s key manufacturer of ballistic and non ballistic missiles.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2931154.stm ][http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/tehran-hemat.htm] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/18902.htm] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2931154.stm ]</ref> Norinco has called the sanctions "groundless and unjustified" and "entirely unreasonable."<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/200306/06/eng20030606_117779.shtml][http://www.norinco.com/c1024/english/newscenter/press_03.html]</ref>