Suspended Activities in United States

Suspended Certain Programs and Activities in the History of U.S. Economic Sanctions Imposed against China

Note: the status of this economic sanction is: Modified

Date of the sanction(s): FEBRUARY 16, 1990

Sec. 902 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991, codified some steps the President had already taken against China and required the imposition of additional sanctions to express United States condemnation of the Chinese government’s actions against pro-democracy demonstrators. The Act required: 1) the continued suspension of Overseas Private Investment Corporation insurance, reinsurance, financing or guarantees; 2) the suspension of obligated funds for new projects by the Trade and Development Agency in China; 3) the continued suspension of exports of any defense article on the United States Munitions List (USML), except for systems and components for civil products not destined for the Chinese military or security forces; 4) the prohibition of export licenses for crime control and detection equipment; 5) the continued suspension of United States satellite exports; 6) the suspension of nuclear trade and cooperation with China; and 7) the suspension of and opposition to the liberalization of export controls by the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM).

Some Observations

These sanctions could be terminated in part or wholly if the President reported to Congress that China had made progress on implementing political reforms, including in Tibet. The President was also given the authority to terminate the sanctions if it was determined to be in the national interest.

Sanctions by Authority:

Sec. 902 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY1990 and FY1991, as amended [P.L. 101-246; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note]

Occasion(s) Detailed

See December 16, 1985, for sanction relating to nuclear cooperation ; see also April 30, 1991, and June 23, 1996, for one-time termination or waiver of sanction ; see also May 27, 1991, for modification of sanction as it relates to satellite technology ; see also November 1991, and March 31, 1994, relating to COCOM ; see also June 22, 1995, for modification of sanction as it relates to cryptographic items

Note: Based on the China: U.S. Economic Sanctions Report.

Resources

See Also