France wants to end arms embargo against China.

EU leaders had agreed last December to review the ban after France said the embargo had outlived its usefulness.

But a number of member states argue China needs to do much more to safeguard human rights.

Diplomatic sources say Denmark and Britain in particular do not believe the moment is opportune to end the ban.

Others, including Sweden and the Netherlands, fear reactions from their parliaments and domestic public opinion, the sources added.

Europe also faces pressure from the United States, which firmly opposes ending the embargo.

But a French source said here Friday France would not give up, reiterating France's view that the embargo was outdated.

www.eubusiness.com...

Do you think it's time to lift the embargo or should China have to go further to improve it human rights record and also prove that it's not a threat to the rest of the world?

what was the embargo about ?
human rights?

Originally posted by devilwasp
what was the embargo about ?
human rights?

It was put in place in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing.

[Edited on 23-4-2004 by AceOfBase]

oh ! that well then it definatly not time to lift it

France support the Beijing dictature regime.

Money !

Chirac is a bastard !

[Edited on 23-4-2004 by Nans DESMICHELS]

Chirrac isnt the only Bastard, NANS .

Bush and his predecessors should burn in hell too.

This is hypocrisy on the US part. We have no problem selling arms and tech to china (thank you MR Clinton). We have no problems sending money and jobs to china, despite thier gross abuses of human dignity and rights.

So if we can do it, why cant everyone else?

If we wanna keep the embargo up, maybe we ourselves need to do something to enforce our end. Start by trade and business sanctions on china. That will take care of a good part of it

US are not selling any weapons to the China. But I agree can with your statement about jobs.

I'm absolutely shocked that such a fine, upstanding country such as France could ever think of supporting a barbaric distatorship such as China. It's just inconceivable!!! Oh sure, Chirac may have used a little poor judgment choosing his friends in Bagdad but he would never support a cruel dictator who tortures and kills his own citizens.

I liked the old french government better. Although if they wanted to send weapons to China I don't think they would of gone to the UN about it. I guess it's now obvious where the french government's loyalties lay.

France is searching friends.
They don�t wanted USA to take Iraq petroleum and that didn�t liked USA, they feel now weak, so now they need new friends, which better than a future world power? Its all so clear, I also remember that in some France celebration not far away they also put a Chinese flag in the air whit lots of fireworks or something like that.

France wants to lift the arms embargo for quite a while.
Understandable, since nobody want to buy their crappy Rafale/Mirage jet-fighters

The Beijing dictature regime is changing, the country has already gone through major changes, and more will follow.

France has been seriously licking Chinese ass recently

No surprise there. Despite all their self-righteousness and pretences of being 'patrons of the free', there are very few western governments who have any qualms about dealing with dictatorships, corrupt governments or military regimes.
Look at all the American trade with china, and Tony Blair visiting Libya to open trade links with them.
Hypocrisy is normality, and the bottom line is money.


It would be interesting to know which governments do not do any business with countries with dictatorships & poor human rights. Anyone know? I'd bet the list is small!