Chinese General's Son Blocked From Working On Sale Of Satellite

By Judd Ginsberg/CNN

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 2) -- The son of a Chinese general has been blocked from working on the sale of $650 million satellite to a Chinese-controlled company, State department spokesman James Rubin said Thursday.

The State Department had issued a license that allowed Shen Jun, son of Lt. Gen. Shen Rongjun, to work as an interpreter during talks between Hughes Space and Communications and the buyer of the satellite, a company with close ties to the Chinese military.

Last week, the license was suspended.

Rubin said, "We have decided, for now, to suspend a munitions license for Hughes that permits a Chinese foreign national" to work as an interpreter. Shen is a Canadian citizen.

The State Department has asked Hughes to supply information for a further inquiry into whether Shen's work fell within the purview of the license.

The examination of the deal is part or a larger investigation into whether Hughes and another company, Loral Space and Communications, provided Chinese rocket experts with information that may have help the Chinese military improve its long range missiles.

Thursday, July 2, 1998

• Tripp Completes Day Two Of Testimony
• Poll: Most Americans Hold Unfavorable Views Of Tripp, Lewinsky
• Daschle Calls For Probe Into Tobacco, Health Care Ad Campaigns
• Trie's Lawyer Asks Judge To Dismiss Fund-Raising Charges
• HMO Bashing Becoming 'Contagious' In 1998 Campaigns
• Texas Gov. Bush Steps Away From GOP Attacks On Bilingual Education
• Chinese General's Son Blocked From Working On Sale Of Satellite
• Statue To Be Added To The FDR Memorial
• New Documents Show Chung Lobbied Administration For Chinese Oil Firm