France - China more Bribes?

"France reiterates support for end to China arms embargo

PARIS (AFP) Dec 06, 2004
Two days before an EU-China summit at the Hague, France on Monday reiterated its support for an end to a European arms embargo imposed after the Tiananmen square massacre of 1989.
"Of course we are in favour of a lifting of the embargo. It no longer corresponds to the reality of the Euro-Chinese strategic partnership," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Cecile Pozzo di Borgo.

"Member states of the EU agree on this ... The discussions are focussed on the timetable and modalities for the lifting of the embargo," she said.

While French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have come out in favour of lifting the boycott, other countries such as Britain and the Netherlands are more cautious.

Last month the European parliament voted to oppose a lifting of the arms embargo unless it is accompanied by a general EU code of conduct on all arms sales as well as improvememnts in China's human rights record.

The embargo is likely to be high on the agenda at Wednesday's meeting, with China pushing for its early removal.

Monday's Financial Times newspaper reported in the lead story of its European edition that Paris does not want the removal of the embargo to be contingent on an overall code of conduct aimed at giving more transparency to EU arms sales.

"Most countries want tighter controls as a condition of lifting the embargo. But France is an obstacle," an unnamed European diplomat was quoted as saying.

European officials told AFP Monday that the summit would probably result in a positive signal from the EU about an end to the embargo, but not in its immediate removal."

With the data coming out in the Oil for food scam, I just had to ask the question.


Mod Edit: Please link your sources
news.xinhuanet.com...





[edit on 6-12-2004 by Spectre]

Why am I not surprised that France and Germany support this but Britain and the Netherlands don't?

One has to ask, is France looking for new customer since Saddam is gone? World arms sales are down approx 50%.

Schr�der is an idiot. he believes he can get out of the economic crisis by selling arms to the chinese..
They will just copy what we sell em.

In many respects Chirac (a certified rightwinger) plays the same geopolitcal games like the americans, bribing and selling guns, also the opposition against the war in Iraq was for a great deal rooted in trying to protect French oil interests in Iraq. Also The French share the same sense of grandeur with the americans,given the change they would also be the worlds policeman.problem is , the days of Napoleon are over and they don't have the same leverage as the americans, so looking at french is really looking in a twisted laughing mirror....

As for the Brittans and the Netherlands, those have already been bribed by the usa, both brittain and Netherlands have enormous financial investments in the usa, the Brittans are an outspoken and war-active ally, while the Netherlands are more like a silent ally, providing logistic and political support (for example, many millitary tranports to the Gulf were very quietly arranged through Rotterdam harbour and currently we have a christian party prime minister) as not to offend our tradingpartners around the world, we want to keep selling milk and eggs to Iran for example, the Dutch believe in 2 things:

1. Human rights
2. Money

Only when there is enough money around human rights can be bought


[edit on 6-12-2004 by Countermeasures]

[edit on 6-12-2004 by Countermeasures]

Based on recent events with islamo-terrorist in the Netherlands perhaps they better understand what is at stake now>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Originally posted by DrHoracid
Based on recent events with islamo-terrorist in the Netherlands perhaps they better understand what is at stake now>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'd say that is an understatement with the Theo van Gogh murder and the subsequent immolation of Muslim schools and mosques.

I tell you some things that are at stake:

Royal Dutch Shell: scandal plagued by the exaggerated estimates of oil reserves

Same goes for many other worldplayer oilcompanies to a lesser extent such as:

British Petrol : wich has historicaly started out as a British-Dutch joint venture and still the ties are very strong.

And naturally, when you say oil, you say Exxon. when you say Exxon, you say Condee, hence things come full circle.


[edit on 6-12-2004 by Countermeasures]

Originally posted by Countermeasures
I tell you some things that are at stake:

Royal Dutch Shell: scandal plagued by the exaggerated estimates of oil reserves

Same goes for many other worldplayer oilcompanies to a lesser extent such as:

British Petrol : wich has historicaly started out as a British-Dutch joint venture and still the ties are very strong.

And naturally, when you say oil, you say Exxon. when you say Exxon, you say Condee, hence things come full circle.


[edit on 6-12-2004 by Countermeasures]

I am completely lost, please explain your thinking here and provide some links.

edition.cnn.com...
www.countercurrents.org...
www.chevrontexaco.com...
www.findarticles.com...

I trust you to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together in orderly fashion....

I think it is mainly that France wants some money and economic oppertunity. Secondly they want to counter USA's influence.

It is not just in arm sell neither. France has been very friendly to China recently.