China arms embargo likely to be lifted

Wednesday January 12, 2005

The EU's 15-year-old arms embargo on China will almost certainly be lifted within the next six months, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said today.

The embargo was imposed in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre, but France and Germany have led calls for its lifting over the past year, arguing that conditions in the country have changed significantly since the 1989 crackdown on student demonstrators.

The prospect of an end to the arms export ban has raised fierce opposition in the US, which fears an escalation of tension between Beijing and Taiwan.

But such objections did not prevent EU ministers from agreeing last month to work towards lifting the embargo.

The Conservatives condemned the announcement, calling it a "surrender to France and Germany".

Mr Straw today made clear that, while efforts would be made to reassure the US administration, Washington would not be given a veto on the change.

He told a House of Commons committee scrutinising arms exports that he expected the ban to be lifted during the Luxembourg presidency of the EU, which lasts until the end of June.

"I think you would get relatively short odds on a decision happening under the Luxembourg presidency," he told MPs.

"It is more likely than not that this will be decided under this presidency."

Mr Straw said that an end to the embargo would have little practical effect, as the EU had introduced a code of conduct on arms exports that would, anyway, block the great bulk of weapons deals with China.

Most applications for licences to supply arms to China were already rejected under the terms of the Code, rather than the embargo, he said.

Last month's meeting of EU foreign ministers had agreed that lifting the embargo would not lead to an increase in the quantity of European arms going to China.

"Our position in principle is that, subject to satisfaction of the issues laid out by the European council in December, we will support a lifting of the arms embargo," Mr Straw said.

Although Britain still had concerns over human rights in China, the situation was "certainly better than it was 15 years ago", he said. It was understandable that Beijing found it inappropriate that it was lumped in with Burma and Zimbabwe, two other countries against which the EU maintains arms export bans.

Challenged on the American concerns, Mr Straw said: "The US have an entirely legitimate and understandable interest both in the effectiveness of the EU's system of arms control and in issues of regional stability in that area. There will be intensive discussions with the US.

"The crucial issue is not to ask the US, 'Are you going to vote for this?' but to say, 'We hope, as close allies, we can provide you with an explanation and reassurance of why we are agreeing to do this and why it won't have the consequences you expect.'"

The shadow foreign secretary, Michael Ancram, said: "I am astonished that Jack Straw has apparently signed up to the ending of the arms embargo on China. What evidence has he that the human rights transgressions which gave rise to this embargo in the first place are no longer relevant?

"This is just another example of the Blair government seeking to curry favour with France and Germany at the expense of our national interest and security."