EU to keep China arms embargo despite massive investments

Catherine Ashton has failed to persuade the UK and other Beijing-critical member states to lift the EU arms embargo on China. But China is continuing to build influence in the Union with bond purchases from vulnerable countries.

"There remains a broad consensus within the EU that the time is not right to lift the arms embargo. We need to see clear progress on the issues that necessitated the embargo in the first place, namely on civil liberties and political rights," a British diplomat told EUobserver on Tuesday (4 January) in response to speculation on a potential shift in EU policy, which would require a consensus of all 27 EU members.

An EU diplomat remarked: : "There is simply no talk of it in the run-up to the EU foreign ministers' meeting [on 31 January]. After the Nobel Peace Prize and China's reaction to that, it is politically unimaginable to make any move for the time being."

Note EU-Digest: China's bond purchases and investments in economically vulnerable EU countries should also be viewed with extreme caution as to the possible implications on these countries political and economic decision making process.


For more: EUobserver / EU to keep China arms embargo despite massive investments