Will US sanctions change Pakistan’s missile program?
Last Updated on September 16, 2024 9:57 am
The United States has imposed sanctions on several Chinese research institutes and companies, accusing it of helping Pakistan develop ballistic missiles. The ban was imposed by the US State Department on Thursday local time. This information is known from the report of Reuters.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Pakistani and Chinese institutions for the sixth time since 2021. The new ban would allow the United States to seize its own assets and prevent its citizens from operating a business in the country.
Among the companies that the US has imposed sanctions against in China are Hubei Huachangda Intelligence Equipment Company, Universal Enterprise and Xiang Longde Technology Development Company. There are also Pakistan-based innovative equipment manufacturers and a Chinese national. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said this information.
According to the US, Beijing’s Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB) and Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC) are jointly developing long-range ballistic missiles for Pakistan.
In this regard, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said that China opposes such illegal sanctions of the United States. Because there is no basis for such a ban in international law or in the UN Security Council.
However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not comment on the US ban. Islamabad did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for an answer.
In April this year, the United States imposed sanctions against four companies for allegedly cooperating with Belarus and China in the development of Pakistan’s long-range missiles.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry countered the ban by pointing out that there was no evidence of foreign companies’ involvement in its ballistic missile program.
At that time, the spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mumtaz Zara Baloch, said, “We have rejected such political restrictions on export control.” He also said that such sanctions bring to the fore the development of defense relations between India and the US.
Experts say Pakistan is continuing its missile development program in defiance of such sanctions.