US wants to inspect tech exports in China

[Judi Lynn]

OCT 22, 2003 WED


US wants to inspect tech exports in China
Washington says on-site checks will allay fears that high-tech products sold to China could end up in the wrong hands

WASHINGTON - The United States has publicly demanded on-site inspections in China to make sure that its high-technology products sold to that country were not being re-exported to nations seeking weapons of mass destruction.

'If we want to be able to make licensing decisions based on the commercial bona fides of end-users, we need to be able to conduct routine end-use checks in China,' said Commerce Undersecretary Kenneth Juster.

Speaking at an export control conference here on Monday, he said such verification visits by US experts were an ordinary part of strategic trade and were already taking place in more than 85 countries around the world.

The inspections, Mr Juster said, ensure that sensitive exports are not diverted to unauthorised users and thereby strengthen confidence in trade relations. (snip/...)

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