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Norinco was established in 1980 with the approval of the State Council of China, and is overseen by the Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND). According to the congressional testimony of Gary Milhollin of the ''Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control'' in 1997, Norinco subsidiaries in the U.S. include: Beta Chemical, Beta First, Beta Lighting, Beta Unitex, China Sports (California), Forte Lighting, Larin, NIC International (New Jersey).

Norinco was established in 1980 with the approval of the State Council of China, and is overseen by the Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND). According to the congressional testimony of Gary Milhollin of the ''Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control'' in 1997, Norinco subsidiaries in the U.S. include: Beta Chemical, Beta First, Beta Lighting, Beta Unitex, China Sports (California), Forte Lighting, Larin, NIC International (New Jersey).

[http://www.iranwatch.org/Gary/sfrc-milhollintestimony-050697.htm][http://www.iranwatch.org/government/US/Congress/Hearings/sfrc-050697/us-congress-sfrc-transcript-050697.htm#Milhollin]

[http://www.iranwatch.org/Gary/sfrc-milhollintestimony-050697.htm][http://www.iranwatch.org/government/US/Congress/Hearings/sfrc-050697/us-congress-sfrc-transcript-050697.htm#Milhollin]

 

In 1994, some employees of Norinco came under federal investigation from both the [[FBI]] as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ([[BATF]]) after a successful sting dubbed “Operation Dragon Fire.” In May of 1996, in what was called [http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,135999,00.html "the largest seizure of fully operational automatic weapons in U.S. history,] 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 rings and street gangs. [http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/misc/smuggle.html].  "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. [http://www.cnn.com/US/9605/23/china.arms/]. It was discovered during the investigation that these weapons were bound for Oakland street gangs [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ([[BATF]]) after a successful sting dubbed “Operation Dragon Fire.” In May of 1996, in what was called [http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,135999,00.html "the largest seizure of fully operational automatic weapons in U.S. history,] 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 rings and street gangs. [http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/misc/smuggle.html].  "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. [http://www.cnn.com/US/9605/23/china.arms/]. It was discovered during the investigation that these weapons were bound for Oakland street gangs [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030523-123039-1385r.htm]. 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.