U.S. Waives Sanctions Against China

The United States announced Tuesday it has waived sanctions against China for helping Iran and Pakistan with missile technology. At the same time, it imposed sanctions on agencies in Pakistan and Iran for receiving Chinese arms assistance.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday the move follows the release of an anti-proliferation statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The waiver applies to sanctions that had been imposed on China for past violations of U.S. law regarding the transfer of missiles and missile technologies.

Mr. Boucher said the decison means the United States will resume processing licenses for commercial space cooperation between U.S. and Chinese companies. He added that Washington reserves the right to impose sanctions against China for any future violations.