The US Securities and Exchange Commission announced on December 10 that Core Pacific Group's two joint ventures in China, namely, Core Pacific Kelihe Company (Beijing) and Core Pacific Fushun Coal Mine Safety Instruments Co., Ltd., illegally paid a total of USD 400,000 to intermediaries and Chinese officials from 2004 to 2008 in order to obtain contracts worth USD 3 million, thus gaining profits of USD 1.1 million.