US Government offers a Five Million Dollar Reward
for Wanted Chinese Businessman.
The US Statement Department, have offered a reward of five
million dollars,
in exchange for the capture of Li Fangwei, a Chinese Businessman
who is suspected of exporting missile parts to Iran.
Nearly seven million dollars related to Li Fangwei
have been confiscated.
The commentators say, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP)
and the Princelings,
have always sold arms and ammunition to Iran
and the Middle East.
Li Fangwei is the US´s warning to the CCP.
On April29, US Government said, Chinese business
man Li Fangwei,
was suspected of violating arms sanctions, and that they will
be lodging a lawsuit against him,
with a reward of US$ five million being placed
on him for his capture.
The US will also sanction eight Chinese enterprises, suspected
of procuring missiles parts to the Iranian Government.
According to a Reuters report, Li Fangwei is charged with
attempting to buy raw materials from the USA.
It is thought, China and other countries are being used to produce
and transport weapons of mass destruction.,
Meanwhile, Li Fangwei was charged with setting up multiple
shell companies for concealing his business activities
via American financial organisations.
Meanwhile, US State Department, Treasury Department,
Commerce Department and Justice Department together,
have offered a five million dollar reward, for evidence
proving his crimes and thus leading to the arrest of Li Fangwei,
US Commerce Department have also placed him
on the black name list of national security.
In addition, US Federal Attorney confiscated US$6.9 million,
allegedly connected to Li Fangwei.
Li Fangwei is the boss of LIMMT(Dalian) Metallurgy
& Minerals Co., Ltd.
In2009, New York´s Manhattan local attorney
charged Li Fangwei with selling sanctioned materials to Iran.
US Treasury Department have banned him and his company
LIMMT,
the carrying out of any business in America without
permission or authorisation.
Zhou Zehao is a scholar of York College of Pennsylvania USA.
He says, US State Department gave a reward of US$ five million
for the arrest of a Chinese businessman,
that such a situation is very unusual.
Because both countries have international penal agreements,
have developed a diplomatic relationship, also the reciprocal
legal agreement for past cooperative cases,
but why have the US taken such a stance
as to offer a reward?
Zhou Zehao says, US Government might release
a diplomatic message by such actions.
US is undertaking negotiations with the Iranian Government
for restraining Iran´s nuclear weapon arsenal.
Zhou Zehao:「The Obama Administration is negotiating terms
with Iran for restraining its nuclear weapons, but it´s difficult.
However, during the process, someone is trying to undermine
those negotiations,
which obviously involves the direct interests of the US
and the strategic arrangements.
Of course, they(US) are attempting to stop this and also
frighten others by punishing Li Fangwei,
as well as advising anyone else considering following Li,
to not follow in his footsteps.」
Affairs Chief Editor of a US-based Chinese magazine,
Mr Wu Fang says,
many princelings of the CCP have made military business with
Iran and the Middle East for a long time now.
But this has all been emphatically denied
by the Chinese Government.
These arms dealers include Wang Jun, the son of Wang Zhen,
a high-rank senior member of the CCP.
Mr Wu Fang confirms, only the princelings of the CCP
can have such a privilege to do the arms deals,
and hence the CCP must shield them.
He believes, Li Fangwei is a follower of a certain member
of the princelings.
So, why doesn´t the US directly punish the certain member
of princelings, and why do they choose Li Fangwei?
Mr Wu Fang believes this involves Sino-American
high-rank interests.
Wu Fang:「The US can only punish the lower level guys
without disturbing the fundamental interests of the CCP.
They just use this action for warning the CCP.
They can only punish the low level guys without touching
upon the high level criminals.
Actually some members of the Princelings visited the US
as tourists, so how can the US deal with them?
This is some in-depth relationship between China
and America and it is hard for us to understand.」
Wu Fang says, the US Government are keen to give a reward
for the capture of Li Fangwei,
and this is to send out a warning message to the CCP,
to stop all arms deals to Iran.
Mr Wu Fang:「This is a strategy. The US is warning CCP,
that your plan has been identified and we are aware of it,
so you cannot do it again.
But can the US really arrest him?
I don´t think so. He has hidden himself in China
without going abroad again.
But such an action can produce such an effect:
China´s secret arms deals with Iran violates US laws,
and they can warn others and the CCP,
that such arms deals will not be tolerated and that they
cannot do deals anymore.」
The CCP Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Qin Gang,
responded to the US action taken on April30:
「Chinese Government resolutely opposes the US
to carry out unilateral sanctions on Chinese Enterprises
and individuals according to American laws」,
and the US「is expected to solve the issue by cooperating with the
Chinese Government by enforcing anti-nuclear proliferations.」
In February of last year, the US Government decided to sanction
company owners and individuals for violating the arms
proliferation mechanism.
In addition to Li Fangwei and his company,
the sanctioned Chinese companies and individuals
include BST Technology and Trade Company,
China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation,
LIMMT and Poly Technology Ltd Company etc.
All of these companies are now sanctioned according to US law.
Interview& Edit/Li Xue Post-Production/Li Yong
