Upgrading to a New Rigorous System: Recent Developments in China's Export Controls

摘要

In this report, Xiaoming Liu examines China's recent efforts to improve its export control systems. Liu, former director of the secretariat of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, says that, since the mid-1990s, China has established a "comprehensive" export control system covering nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; missiles; and "related sensitive items and technologies." Liu writes that Beijing's export control regulations undergo "continual revision and amendments" based on China's international obligations and practical needs. China also publishes penalty measures for export control violations, which can include fines, confiscation of income, and cancellation of a company's authority to export controlled items, he says. Liu discusses how the Chinese government made a concerted effort to reach out to companies to explain export controls and the benefits of compliance with Chinese regulations. He says that although larger firms have implemented internal compliance programs, "many small- and medium-sized companies remain deficient" because of "personnel or financial resources constraints" that make implementing an internal compliance program difficult. Liu argues that China must place more emphasis on security than on trade promotion as it continues to strengthen its export controls.