Congressional Statements

Pallone urges President Bush to reinstate missile control sanctions against Pakistan

Says Administration Official Was Wrong When He Stated China's Exporting of Missile Technology To Pakistan Is Still Illegal

Press Release
May 23, 2002

Citing increasing evidence that China is sending missile technology to Pakistan, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today urged President Bush to reinstate Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) sanctions against Pakistan. In a letter sent to President Bush today, Pallone also voiced concern that Bush Administration officials are misinformed by the administration's current policy regarding Pakistan's ability to purchase military technology from nations like China.

Pallone, founder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, pointed to erroneous comments made earlier this month by John R. Bolton, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and Security, that the Bush administration's policy on the illegal export of missile technology from China to Pakistan has not changed since the Clinton administration.

Last year, the Bush administration waived certain sanctions imposed against Pakistan, including the Clinton Administration's November 2000 prohibition on China engaging in missile technology proliferation activities with Pakistan. The president was able to waive the sanctions as a result of authority Congress granted him after 9/11 when it approved legislation providing the president increased flexibility in the exercise of his sanction waiver authority with respect to Pakistan.

"I am disappointed that your administration would publicize that its policy has not changed since the Clinton administration even though the opposite is true and that the Clinton prohibition was waived under your authority," Pallone wrote in his letter to the president.

"In addition, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is that missile technology transfers from China to Pakistan be terminated," Pallone continued. "The current political situation in Pakistan is extremely unstable given their military dictator Pervez Musharraf standing as President and the escalating conflict in Kashmir. Further, there are reports that Osama bin Laden, members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban may have shifted into Pakistan. Bin Laden has been known to have conferred with nuclear scientists in the past and it is imperative that no further missile or nuclear technology information be filtered into Pakistan for fear of the information getting into deadly hands."

In May 1996, China pledged to not provide technological assistance to nuclear facilities in countries such as Pakistan, where such facilities are not safeguarded. However, Chinese authorities did not effectively ban technology information transfers, which continued to take place after May 1996. In November 2000, China entered into an agreement with the Clinton Administration that prohibited China from transferring missiles or missile technology to specifically Pakistan. Apparently, missile technology transfers continued even after this specific prohibition.

"Your administration has the authority to reauthorize the prohibition of November 2000 that mandates China not to transfer missile or missile technology to Pakistan," Pallone continued in his letter to the president. "This is a matter of not only security in the South Asia region, but is a national security concern as well. Reinstating this prohibition is the only means to ensuring that the transfer of information will be terminated and that China will in fact put in place punitive measures towards companies that continue to attempt to provide information illegally to Pakistan."