Britain should oppose lifting an EU embargo on arms sales to China if it does not receive assurances the move will not lead to an increase in weapons sales or transfer of "sensitive technologies" to Beijing, a joint parliamentary committee report said yesterday.
Lawmakers cited the threat of US punitive measures, as well as China's aggressive posturing against Taiwan, as reasons to oppose a removal of the ban.
The EU's arms embargo was slapped on China after the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, but France has led a group of EU countries arguing that it is outdated and should be lifted.
The report, issued by a group of lawmakers drawn from four separate House of Commons committees on arms sales, warned of "major EU-US trade repercussions" in the event the ban is lifted -- a reference to Washington's threats to cut European companies out of defense contracts and deny them access to US technology.
The report also mentioned the risk that "EU member states [could] enhance China's military capacity in a worrying way," and that weapons exported from Europe could be used for internal repression.
It stressed that any end to the arms embargo should not lead to a qualitative or quantitative increase in arms sales, or the transfer of "sensitive technologies" to China.
"If such assurances cannot be obtained we recommend that the government opposes lifting the arms embargo and any other change of EU policy with regard to arms sales to China."
Committee chair Roger Berry said the "very real risks involved in the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China ... must be mitigated effectively."
Britain has backed a lifting of the ban, but officials have signaled it will seek to defer the decision until later in light of increasing pressure from the US, which claims it would upset the balance of power in the region and put Taiwan at risk.
Diplomatic sources quoted by media this week have said that London and some other EU states including Sweden, Belgium and Italy were leaning toward postponement of the decision on the arms ban.
The parliamentary report comes only hours after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott backed lifting the ban -- although his comments were later watered down by Prime Minister Tony Blair's office.
Prescott, standing in for Blair, told parliament "I think the good sense in Europe will be that they will come to some agreement on this matter and lift that embargo."
Blair's spokesman said afterwards that the government supported EU plans to lift the embargo in principle but wanted first to create a strong code that would regulate sales to China.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS