Washington:

The US has imposed sanctions on three China-based companies that supply missile-related items and technology to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, the US State Department said.

The US State Department said on Friday that the sanctions were imposed as part of a global non-proliferation regime.

“Today we are appointing three entities pursuant to Executive Order No. 13382 for WMD distributors and their means of delivery. These three entities, located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), worked to supply missiles. items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program,” the State Department said in a statement.

China, Pakistan’s all-weather ally, has been a major supplier of weapons and defense equipment to Islamabad’s military modernization program.

The three companies are General Technology Limited, Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development Co Ltd. and Changzhou Utek Composite Company Ltd.

They were sanctioned for engaging in, or attempting to engage in, activities or transactions that substantially contributed to, or risk materially contributing to, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery (including missiles capable of delivering such weapons). ), including any effort by Pakistan to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer or use such items.

General Technology Limited worked to supply solders used to join components of ballistic missile engines and manufacture combustion chambers.

Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development Co Ltd has been working on supplying mandrels and other machines that can be used to produce solid rocket motors and can be controlled by the rocket technology control mode.

Changzhou Utek Composite Company Ltd. since 2019 worked to supply D-type fiberglass, quartz cloth, and high-silica cloth, all of which are used in missile systems.

Today’s actions demonstrate that the United States will continue to fight the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, and related procurement activities of concern wherever they are found, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The United States is committed to strengthening the global non-proliferation regime by taking steps to disrupt procurement networks that support proliferation activities of concern, the US said.

The sanctions come days after Pakistan launched the Ababeel ballistic missile system.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated channel.)