Chinese Entity, Its Director Hit With CAATSA Sanctions Over Military Purchases From Russia

The United States has sanctioned China's Equipment Development Department (EDD) and its Director Li Shangfu for buying missile defense systems and combat aircraft from Russia in violation of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a senior administration official said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) The United States has sanctioned China's Equipment Development Department (EDD) and its Director Li Shangfu for buying missile defense systems and combat aircraft from Russia in violation of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a senior administration official said on Thursday.

"We took these actions because China took delivery of ten Sukhoi fighter aircraft, specifically Su-35, in December 2017, of course, after the CAATSA statute came into force, and it also took delivery of a batch of S-400 ... surface-to-air missile systems or related equipment in January of this year," the official told reporters. "These transactions, which I repeat occurred after the statute came into force, were deals that were negotiated between the Equipment Development Department, EDD, on the one hand and Rosoboronexport which is Russia's main arms export entity."