Carbon-Fiber Material with Rocket & Spacecraft Applications to China

On October 8, 2009, three individuals were sentenced in the District of Minnesota for illegally exporting highmodulus, carbon fiber material to the China Academy of Space Technology. Jian Wei Ding was sentenced to 46 months in prison. Kok Tong Lim was sentenced to just over one year of confinement because of his cooperation in the case, while Ping Cheng was sentenced to one year probation due to his cooperation. On March 20, 2009, Ding pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Export Administration Regulations. Cheng entered his plea on February 13, 2009 and Lim entered his plea on March 9, 2009. All three men were indicted on October 28, 2008 for conspiring to illegally export to China controlled carbon-fiber material with applications in aircraft, rockets, spacecraft, and uranium enrichment process. The intended destination for some of the materials was the China Academy of Space Technology, which oversees research institutes working on spacecraft systems for the PRC government. For national security, nuclear proliferation and antiterrorism reasons, the U.S. government requires a license to export these carbon-fiber materials. Jian Wei Ding was a resident of Singapore and owned or was a affiliated with various Singaporean import/export companies, including Jowa Globaltech Pte Ltd, FirmSpace Pte Ltd, and Far Eastron Co. Pte Ltd. Kok Tong Lim was a resident of Singapore and once was affiliated with FirmSpace, Pte Ltd. Ping Cheng was a resident of New York and the sole shareholder of Prime Technology Corporation. This investigation was conducted by ICE and BIS.