Rice warns EU against lifting China arms embargo

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday suggested it would be irresponsible of European governments to sell sophisticated weaponry to China that might one day be used against US forces in the Pacific.

The EU may soon lift an arms embargo on China that was imposed after the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

France and Germany have led calls for its lifting over the past year, arguing that conditions in the country have changed significantly since the 1989 crackdown on student demonstrators.

Lifting the embargo would allow sale of technology and weapons that China badly wants to modernise its creaky military.

Ms Rice has already said that China’s recent statements about a possible invasion of Taiwan should give the Europeans pause.

China passed a law this month codifying its intention to use military force against Taiwan should the island declare formal independence.

“It is the United States, not Europe, that is defending the Pacific,” Ms Rice said. She spoke in Seoul, the penultimate stop on her week-long tour of Asia.

South Korea, Japan and the US are all Pacific powers and all contribute resources to keep the Asia-Pacific region stable, she said.

China has recently gone on a military spending spree that concerns the US.

Ms Rice said she would raise US objections to the Taiwan development with Chinese officials in two days of talks, along with long-standing concerns over Chinese human rights practices and violations of intellectual property rights.

Ms Rice will also ask China for more help to persuade communist North Korea to return to international nuclear disarmament talks.

Yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw indicated that China’s bid to persuade the EU to lift its arms embargo has been complicated by Beijing’s decision to authorise war to stop any Taiwanese independence move.

Earlier this month, China’s rubber stamp parliament unanimously passed a law to authorise a military attack on Taiwan in the event that its breakaway island neighbour pursues formal independence.

The ceremonial National People’s Congress in Beijing approved the legislation over US calls for restraint, and warnings by Taiwan that it would damage regional stability and fragile ties between Beijing and Taipei.

Mr Straw said the passage of the law had caused concern in European capitals.

Mr Straw said: “Politically there are problems and these problems have actually got more difficult rather than less difficult, not least because there hasn’t been much movement by China in respect of human rights.

“And for their own reasons they decided to pass this new law authorising the use of force in the event of Taiwan seceding. So it’s created quite a difficult political environment.”

It was put to Mr Straw that his comments appeared to suggest that it is unlikely that the arms embargo is going to be lifted in the near future.

Mr Straw said: “It’s not on the agenda of the European Council this week. At what stage the European Council, (which) has to do this unanimously, judges that the time is right, remains to be seen.”