The Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 15 updated a Venezuela-related general license and amended a Venezuela-related frequently asked question. General License No. 5D, which replaced No. 5C, authorizes certain transactions related to Petroleos de Venezuela involving an 8.5% bond on or after Oct. 20. The FAQ clarifies which transactions are authorized by the license.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and five entities involved in helping a Russian financier evade U.S. sanctions, OFAC said in a July 15 press release. The sanctions target Russia-based M Invest, its subsidiary Meroe Gold and two M Invest officials: Andrei Mandel and Mikhail Potepkin. OFAC also targeted Hong Kong-based Shine Dragon Group Limited, Shen Yang Jing Cheng Machinery Imp & Exp. Co., Zhe Jiang Jiayi Small Commodities Trade Company Limited and Shine Dragon Group director Igor Lavrenkov.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected 49 entries in its Libya sanctions regime, a July 14 notice said. The U.K. revised identifying information for each of the entries to bring them “into line” with European Union sanctions.

China will sanction Lockheed Martin for its involvement in a $620 million arms sale to Taiwan (see 2007090078), China’s Foreign Ministry said July 14, according to an unofficial translation of the transcript of a press conference. A ministry spokesperson called on the U.S. to stop the sale, which includes the recertification of advanced missiles to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. “In order to safeguard national interests, China decided to take necessary measures to impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, the main contractor in this arms sales case,” the spokesperson said, adding that further military sales will “damage” U.S.-China relations.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on July 10 removed five entries and amended one entry under four sanctions regimes. The U.K. removed from its sanctions lists Ri Pyong Chol, North Korea; Fahd Jasim Al-Furayj, Syria; Col. Mas’ud Abdulhafiz, Libya; and Robert Kibelisa and Lambert Mende, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The U.K. also revised an entry for Ahmed Al-Jarroucheh under its Syria sanctions.

The United Kingdom issued a July 9 guidance on its Somalia sanctions regime, which will take effect 11 p.m. Dec. 31. The guidance contains information on the sanctions, how companies can comply with the regulations and related sanctions documents.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed sanctions from Yemane Gebreab, an Eritrea government official and presidential adviser. The change took effect July 10 and removes Gebreab from OFAC’s Somalia sanctions.

China will take “reciprocal measures” in response to the U.S. imposition of sanctions against Chinese officials and a security agency involved in human rights violations in the Xinjiang region (see 2007090024). The U.S. sanctions are a “serious interference” in Chinese internal affairs, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a July 10 press conference, adding that the measures will cause “grave harm” to U.S.-China relations. China will impose similar measures against U.S agencies and people “with egregious practices on Xinjiang-related issues,” the spokesperson said. “The Chinese side will firmly fight back if the U.S. obstinately pursues such agenda.”

Switzerland announced 11 new designations against government officials in Venezuela, according to an unofficial translation of a July 7 notice. The sanctions target: Jose Adelino Ornelas Ferreira, Gladys del Valle Requena, Tania Valentina Diaz Gonzalez, Elvis Eduardo Hidrobo Amoroso, Juan Jose Mendoza Jover, Jorge Elieser Marquez Monsalve, Farik Karin Mora Salcedo, Dinorah Yoselin Bustamante Puerta, Luis Eduardo Parra Rivero, Franklyn Leonardo Duarte and Jose Gregorio Noriega Figueroa.

Russia will retaliate after the United Kingdom sanctioned 25 Russian nationals earlier this week (see 2007060025), Reuters reported July 7. A Kremlin spokesperson said it “can only regret such unfriendly steps” by the U.K., and added that “some kind of retaliatory response will apply to the extent that it suits the interests of the Russian Federation,” Reuters reported.