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EU presidency reconsidering China arms embargo

Maximus Zeebra

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EUobserver / EU presidency reconsidering China arms embargo

The Spanish EU presidency has indicated it is willing to reconsider the bloc's arms embargo with China, implemented over 20 years ago following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on Chinese pro-democracy protesters.

European diplomats also queried whether the Spanish decision to visit the perennial issue would win the backing of all 27 member states this time round, with any decision requiring unanimity for a change of position.


Hmmmm.
 
How much impetus really is there in European leadership to stick it to the US?

Do you know, Zebra?
 
How much impetus really is there in European leadership to stick it to the US?

That has nothing to do with the U.S. China has vast amounts of cash, and would gladly pay for more advanced technology to boost up their military capabilities. Profit is the primary motive here.
 
That has nothing to do with the U.S. China has vast amounts of cash, and would gladly pay for more advanced technology to boost up their military capabilities. Profit is the primary motive here.
thing is though, it will come at a cost, to not only them, but the entire western world, no?
 
I think it's a good movie. China is supplying NK with technology that is acquired from Western nations, so why should the EU allow its domestic arms industries to contribute to the strength of enemies?

The arms relationship between the West and the developing world is probably the most untalked about topic in the media. It's a huge, huge industry and our governments are too hesitant to regulate it, if you ask me.
 
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How much impetus really is there in European leadership to stick it to the US?

Do you know, Zebra?

At the moment, not so much.. BUT, a lift of the embargo require all states to decide so unanimously. Poland and the UK for example are not very likely to do so. In that case we could see an "Iraq 2" situation, where most there is a split,and some countries just decide to lift the embargo anyways.

Germany and Italy are pretty keen on making relations with China good, improving them. France and Spain definetely wants to lift it, so will many smaller member states.


I think lifting it would be a very bad idea. There's no reason to sell arms to China, they'd only use it on their people. Commies have a habit of periodically conducting purges of "unsavory" folk. There's no real good reason to lift such an embargo.

This is not a reason which is used strongly by the no side anymore. Most of European realize that China has changed. We also realize there are two sides to the Tibet issue, unlike the US who focus only on Tibet as the "good" and China as "bad".
 
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That has nothing to do with the U.S. China has vast amounts of cash, and would gladly pay for more advanced technology to boost up their military capabilities. Profit is the primary motive here.

This "consideration" like the article mentions is only because of Chinese pressure. There are countless negotiation manouvers that China has and is still trying to have the EU lift the embargo.

Last I heard China is "threatening" to retaliate to the "groundless EU arms embargo", by not letting EU have access to future Chinese military technology.This seems like the strongest impetus yet for lifting it.

Seams pretty stupid considering that these weapons will simply end up in the hands of Chinas allys, for example Burma and Sudan.But when you consider in whos interests these decisions are being made in its actually quite smart. If we see these weapons used on French troops in Darfur then we will have a pretty good illustration of this.

This is the argument which is much more important to EU/European leaders than the US pressure. As far as I have understood, this is the main blocking point.
 
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I think lifting it would be a very bad idea. There's no reason to sell arms to China, they'd only use it on their people. Commies have a habit of periodically conducting purges of "unsavory" folk. There's no real good reason to lift such an embargo.
 
This is the argument which is much more important to EU/European leaders than the US pressure. As far as I have understood, this is the main blocking point.

There are indeed two sides in the Tibet issue, one is fighting for their legally enshrined right to self determination, and one is fighting against it.
 
There are indeed two sides in the Tibet issue, one is fighting for their legally enshrined right to self determination, and one is fighting against it.

But we have no right to be involved. That would be like China fighting for Basque seperatism.. :doh
 
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