China wary of India's NSG bid, but its own nuclear proliferation record is questionable

China may be opposing India’s entry into the NSG on the basis that it is not a member of NPT but when it comes to proliferation, Beijing’s record is questionable. Several questions have been regularly raised on Beijing’s sharing of technology with nations like Pakistan, Iran and North Korea as brought out by these leaked US government files by Wikileaks:

NORTH KOREA
December 2008: China’s Shenyang Huali Economic Trading Company, working through North Korean intermediaries, was acting as a key source of raw materials and technology for a North Korean ballistic missile development project in Syria.

August 2005: Beijing told that Chinese entity Dandong Xinshidai Trading Company Ltd shipped several tonnes of stainless steel to North Korea’s primary weapons trader, the Korea Mining Development Corporation.

PAKISTAN
March 2009: US raised concerns over Beijing Tianlianxing Scientific Ltd offering 1,000 kilogram of specialty steel to Pakistan’s Aginel Enterprises, which was associated with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

Steel was used to produce components in Pakistan’s Ghaznavi short-range ballistic missile, a Missile Technology Control Regime controlled system.

March 2009: China asked to answer on Pakistan’s Intralink Incorporated seeking a quote from the Chinese firm Suzhou Testing Instrument Factory for a vibration test system. This too was for Pakistan’s Ghaznavi short-range ballistic missile.

October 2008: China told that its supply of trisonic wind tunnel to Islamabad was intended for use of missile related research and development by the Pakistan government.

October 2008: Allegations made that Chinese firm Polytechnologies used false documentation to supply a coil winding machine and integrated optical chips to Pakistan’s Advanced Engineering and Research Organization ( AERO). This for development of nuclear weapons delivery systems, cruise missiles, and UAVs.

March 2006: Beijing apprised of concerns over attempts by Pakistan’s missile programme to procure ring-rolling and flow forming machines from entities in China for the development of Pakistan’s Shaheen series of ballistic missiles.

October 2005: Chinese firm Jinan Metal Forming Machinery Engineering Company Ltd accused of working to supply Pakistan’s Heavy Mechanical Complex with a ring-rolling machine; intended for use in Pakistan’s missile program.

IRAN
March 2009: US brings out ‘long standing serious concerns’ regarding the proliferation-related trading activities of the Chinese firm Dalian Sunny Industries. The firm was supplying components and materials for Iran’s ballistic missile programs.

January 2009: Hong Kong Most Group Co Ltd allegedly supplied Iranian firm Aluminat Co with Chinese origin aluminum plates that could be used to produce a variety of structural components in Scud missiles.

December 2006: Beijing warned that a Chinese company was working on an order for specialty steel for Iran’s solid fuelled ballistic missile developer, the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group.

SYRIA
June 2008: US asks Beijing to explain Syrian entity Industrial Solutions ordering a consignment of 2024-T6 aluminum from the Chinese company Shanghai Yuanshan Industry and Trade Company. The entity was responsible for Syria’s ballistic missile programme.