China North Industries Group Corporation (CNGC), commonly known as Norinco, is a state-owned defence corporation that designs, manufactures and exports a range of military equipment, vehicles, and weapons to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. This conglomerate of businesses was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Beijing, China. It ranks as one of China’s 100 largest defence contractors and is a major supplier to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The companies that make up CNGC manufacture a wide variety of products for defense, law enforcement, and civilian use. Most notably, these include firearms, ammunition, body armor, armoured vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft, air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and chemical and biological weapons. They also manufacture a vast array of commercial products and production machinery, including fertilizer, petrochemicals, construction materials, ships, rail and pipeline systems, power transmission equipment, and elevated roads.
CNGC is a large and extremely diverse corporation that extends its reach across the globe. One of its main branches, Norinco International, is heavily involved in the international arms trade - selling weapons to governments, armies, and armies contracted by the United Nations. Other branches have extensive operations scattered across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, where CNGC is involved in telecommunications networks, industrial projects, energy infrastructure, and many other civilian projects.
In recent years, CNGC has been a center of controversy due to the activities of some of its subsidiaries. From the late 1980s to the late 2000s, several of the companies associated with CNGC have been targeted by a series of sanctions from the U.S. Department of the Treasury for their alleged involvement in illicit weapons production or selling weapons to countries subject to UN arms embargoes. In addition, U.S. laws prohibit the sale of goods related to CNGC’s activities, such as certain firearms, military and communication equipment.
Despite the controversy surrounding CNGC, it remains one of the most powerful and influential companies in China. It is a major employer of Chinese citizens and the top contracting organization for the PLA. Furthermore, its subsidiaries provide goods and services to international customers and participate in international technology sharing agreements. Thus, while some of its activities may be controversial, CNGC is an invaluable asset to the People’s Republic of China.
