The house bill this week notes that after the EU decided to retain the arms sales restrictions, the US and the EU decided to begin a strategic dialogue on China and the security situation in East Asia, and the lawmakers expressed the hope that the dialogue will assure that the European nations “understood the gravity of prematurely lifting the embargo.”
The committee also said it hoped “a more intensive dialogue with Europe on this matter will clarify for the United States’ friends and allies in Europe how their non-lethal arms transfers improve the force projection of the People’s Republic of China, are far from benign and enhance the prospects for the threat or use of force in resolving the status of Taiwan.”
The dialogue, the bill says, could also foster a greater understanding of “the consequences of European assistance to the military buildup of the People’s Republic of China for peace and stability in that region, to the security interests of the United States and its friends and allies in the region, and, in particular, to the safety of the United States armed forces” in the region.
The bill also requires the president to submit reports to Congress every six months on administration efforts and activities in its efforts to keep the embargo in force.
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