The United States government has imposed a new set of sanctions targeting a Pakistani company and several Chinese entities, including one individual, for allegedly supplying equipment and technology linked to the development of ballistic missiles in Pakistan.
This latest round of sanctions, announced on Thursday, represents the sixth such action taken by the US against Chinese and Pakistani firms since November 2021. Under these sanctions, any US-based assets belonging to the listed entities can be frozen, and US citizens, or anyone within or passing through the US, are prohibited from engaging in business with those named.
The sanctions specifically target three China-based companies—Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Co., Universal Enterprise, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Co.—as well as the Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national. According to US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, these entities are being penalized for “knowingly transferring equipment under missile technology restrictions.”
The US claims that the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB) has been collaborating with Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC), which Washington believes is involved in developing long-range ballistic missiles for Pakistan.
“The United States remains committed to countering proliferation and related procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur,” Miller stated. The US asserts that these sanctions are intended to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), especially long-range missiles.
China’s embassy spokesperson in Washington, Liu Pengyu, criticized the sanctions, stating: “China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and extraterritorial jurisdiction that lack international legal basis or UN Security Council authorization.” Pakistan’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to the latest sanctions, and Al Jazeera’s inquiries went unanswered.
The previous round of sanctions, announced in April 2024, targeted four companies from Belarus and China for allegedly supplying missile-related items to Pakistan’s long-range missile program.
In reaction to those sanctions, Pakistan’s foreign ministry rejected the allegations, claiming they were imposed “without any evidence whatsoever.” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the foreign office spokesperson, accused certain countries of benefiting from exemptions to “non-proliferation” controls, a reference understood to be directed at growing US-India defense cooperation.
Despite these sanctions, experts note that Pakistan’s missile development continues to advance rapidly.
