CHAPTER 3: CHINESE exportS OF EQUIPMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT Over the past decade China has significantly increased its manufacturing base, including the manufacture of security equipment for law enforcement. Although there is little official data available, information from Chinese companies, and the increased presence of Chinese companies at trade fairs, as well as media reports and photographic evidence of Chinese equipment being used in other countries, all point to the growth of China’s law enforcement equipment industry and China’s increasingly strong presence in the global market for this equipment. While some of the exports are no doubt used in legitimate law enforcement operations, China has also exported equipment that has inhumane effects, or poses a substantial risk of fuelling human rights violations by foreign law enforcement agencies. This chapter first presents evidence of the global reach of China’s trade in law enforcement equipment. It then presents an analysis of the systems in place to regulate these transfers. It concludes by presenting examples of what Amnesty International and Omega would consider irresponsible trade – i.e. transfers of inherently abusive equipment, or transfers of law enforcement equipment to countries where there is a substantial risk that it will be used to facilitate or directly perpetrate serious human rights violations. TRADE FAIRS One indication of China’s active role in the global market for law enforcement equipment is its strong presence at international trade fairs, where buyers and sellers of both military and law enforcement equipment are brought together and trade deals are negotiated. Chinese companies have exhibited their wares at military, security and policing trade fairs around the world including Milipol85 and Eurosatory86 in Paris, the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi,87 and African Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition in South Africa.88 Although primarily for military goods, these trade fairs include a wide range of policing equipment and are seen as a prime opportunity to advertise equipment to an international market. At the AAD 2010 fair held in South Africa the Chinese national pavilion covered 1,200m2, making it the largest country pavilion at that exhibition.89 The Chinese company Norinco marketed law enforcement weapons and other equipment that has legitimate law enforcement uses, including handcuffs and grenade launchers for crowd control, but Norinco also marketed equipment such as electric shock stun batons which Amnesty International and Omega consider to be inherently abusive.90 At the Eurosatory 2012 and Milipol 2011 exhibitions in Paris, the China Xinxing Import / Export Corporation’s brochures advertised a wide range of equipment that Amnesty International and Omega consider to be inherently abusive, including electric shock stun batons, hand / ankle combination cuffs and a restraint chair.91 Also at Eurosatory 2010 the major Chinese company Poly Technologies advertised spiked shields.92 Smaller Chinese companies were also present at these fairs. At Milipol 2011 and Milipol 2013 Jiangsu Anhua Police Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd (Jiangsu Anhua) advertised a similar range of equipment to that promoted by China Xinxing Import / Export Corporation. In September 2013, Chinese exhibitor, Tianjin Myway International, along with French company Magforce International, were ejected from the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition in London for advertising electric shock stun guns in their company brochures.93 UK export controls forbid “any act calculated to promote the supply of any category A goods” 94 and the UK Government’s guidance states: “The controls on Category A goods cover ‘any act calculated to promote’ the movement of such goods with no exemption for general advertising or promotion.”95 Category A goods include equipment for the execution of human beings, goods defined as torture equipment under UK legislation and cluster munitions. China’s Trade in Tools of Torture and Repression Amnesty International – Index: ASA 17/042/2014 23