China on Thursday said the industrial equipment seized by Indian authorities from a Pakistan-bound merchant ship in February was a heat treatment system, which is not meant for military use and is a not a dual-use item under non-proliferation controls followed globally.
The Hong Kong-registered Chinese ship, Da Cui Yun was seized by Indian authorities on February at Kandla port in Gujarat after the ship’s crew is said to have wrongly declared a “dual use” industrial autoclave as an industrial dryer: The suspicion was that it could be used for making missiles.
The ship was allowed to leave for its destination, Port Qasim in Karachi, after Indian authorities seized the equipment.
Scientists from India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who examined the heavy industrial equipment confirmed that the equipment could be used for the manufacture of very long-range ballistic missiles or satellite launch rockets.
China has noted the relevant reports. As a responsible major country, China has been strictly fulfilling the international non-proliferation obligations and international commitments,” foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said at the regular ministry briefing on Thursday.
“After seeking the information, we know that this item is actually a heat treatment furnace shell system, produced by a private company in China,” he said, adding:
“This is not for military use and it is not a dual-use item under the non-proliferation and export control.”
“The Chinese merchant ship and its owner have declared this item truthfully beforehand with the Indian authorities; so, there is no concealment and forced declaration,’’ the spokesperson said.