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EU maintains hard line on China arms embargo

The EU insisted yesterday that its arms embargo against China would remain until Beijing's human rights record improved, despite the two sides agreeing to expand their strategic partnership.

"We are working toward lifting the arms embargo. [But] we want to see the right environment," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told journalists on the final day of her three-day visit to China.

"For instance, we want to see the ratification of the [UN] Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of [its] citizens," she said. "We would also like to see the release of the prisoners from Tiananmen Square and also the abolishment of [the extra-legal penal system of] education through labor."

An EU official in Beijing said the criteria listed by Ferrero-Waldner in relation to the lifting of the arms embargo were not new.

But her comments coincided with the kickstarting this week of negotiations between Beijing and the EU to expand an economic and commercial treaty into other fields, such as the environment.

Ferrero-Waldner said the EU was not ready yet to upgrade China to market economy status, a step that would offer China greater protection from trade retaliation measures.

She said the new pact could take "a couple of years" to fully negotiate and underscored the EU's hope to outline cooperation on energy security, climate change and sustainable development.

The day before, Ferrero-Waldner had talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) on a new partnership agreement to expand cooperation in trade, climate change and other fields.

Li said on Wednesday that China was also looking forward to expanding the partnership. But he also denounced the arms embargo as "political discrimination."
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