Solana: China Deserves Embargo Lift

Before a meeting of the Council of Europe, Solana announced that negotiations to lift the embargo imposed on China have been continuing, however, there are currently no changes on the issue. Solana emphasized that they have been in contact with regional countries and they continue to work on an agreement regarding the sale of weapons to China. "China deserves a lifting of the arms embargo," said the EU high representative. The EU implemented the arms embargo on China following incidents that occurred in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989; however, a group of EU states, led by France, argue that this ban should be abolished.

On the other hand, the US is against a lifting of the embargo because of the Taiwan issue. The EU term president in Luxembourg had announced that it intends to reach a decision regarding this issue before it hands the term presidency over to Great Britain. It is expected that the possibility that the UK would lift the embargo is highly unlikely should a decision not be reached prior to the Luxembourg handover of the presidency.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned the EU saying that the balance of power in Asia would shift if the EU lifts the embargo on China.