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September 17, 2002

A new Pentagon report says that China is selling technology that could be used for weapons of mass destruction to Egypt, Iran, Libya, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. This includes technology that could be used to produce biological and chemical weapons and components and expertise to develop nuclear weapons from civilian power reactors. China has previously pledged to end such exports, but apparently needs the money to modernize its military, and to the extent it comments on the charges at all, China insists that the items sold are intended for non-weapon purposes. The US says that most of the Chinese exports in this field go through Pakistan or North Korea to give China plausible deniability. The US-China Security Review Commission, established by Congress, confirmed the Pentagon report with its own report, saying that China provides technology and components for weapons of mass destruction to terrorism-sponsoring states.--Stephen V Cole