France urges lifting of EU arms embargo against China

Against the backdrop of US resistance and
divisions within Europe, French President Jacques Chirac is
pushing for the EU’s arms embargo on China to be
lifted.

Ahead of his five-day state visit to China on 8
October, President Chirac expressed France’s support for
lifting the arms embargo against China that was imposed in
response to Beijing’s crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen
Square in 1989. “We will try to get the EU to lift as soon
as possible an embargo which is of another time and which
does not correspond any more to the reality of the
situation,” Chirac told the Chinese Xinhua news agency. In
Chirac’s opinion, this would be a symbolic step since
weapons sales to China would remain under strict control.
Germany is also in favour of lifting the embargo.

However, Washington remains opposed to
the idea, arguing that an end to the embargo could enable
China to invade Taiwan and would amount to a “real national
security concern”. Should the EU members line up behind the
French proposal, the US might consider restricting
transfers of sensitive defence technology to Europe, the
IHT quoted a State Department official as saying.

In Europe, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark and
the Netherlands believe that such a move would elicit
hostile reactions from the public and are inclined to side
with the US. Britain has yet to formulate its stance.

Human rights groups and the European
Parliament also argue against lifting the arms ban.

The EU’s foreign ministers will discuss
the issue at their regular monthly meeting on 11 October. A
decision would require unanimous support.

Chirac will attend the fifth Asia-Europe
Summit Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi this weekend. 

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