HUMAN EVENTS' John Gizzi asked the following question in today??¢â???¬â???¢s White House press briefing (nod to Tim Carney):
Q Scott, on March 7th, my colleague, Tim Carney, reported the Export-Import Bank had made $5 billion in loans and loan guarantees to the China National Nuclear Corporation, CNNC, which our own intelligence reports say has played a pivotal role in building nuclear reactors [sic] in Pakistan and Iran. Given the very strong language you were using about China this morning after the Taiwan resolution, what is the administration??¢â???¬â???¢s reaction to the Ex-Im Bank giving $5 billion to their nuclear program?
MR. McCLELLAN: I??¢â???¬â???¢d have to take a look at the specific report. I haven??¢â???¬â???¢t seen it. If you??¢â???¬â???¢re talking about for peaceful civilian purposes, that??¢â???¬â???¢s one matter. If you??¢â???¬â???¢re talking about proliferation, that??¢â???¬â???¢s another matter. And the President has acted very strongly when it comes to stopping the spread of nuclear materials, and implemented export controls. We have export controls on countries, and we enforce those export controls.
Q Well, when you talk about proliferation, again, it has been determined very solidly that the CNNC in China that is going to receive $5 billion in U.S. aid was involved in proliferation in Pakistan and Iran.
MR. McCLELLAN: If you want to bring me the specific report, I??¢â???¬â???¢ll be glad to take a look at it. We have acted in certain instances when there have been companies in countries like China that have violated our export controls.
Q If you have a formal response on that, could you post it, please?
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.
