Lankan Ranger
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THE EU'S BALANCING ACT: SELLING ARMS TO CHINA
Actually, even with the embargo, EU countries are able to sell "non-lethal" weapons to China, from helicopters to advanced radar and diesel engines for submarines. The EU's annual report on arms exports show the value of licenses to sell arms to China totaled 416 million in 2003, against 210 million for 2002. In fact, even the United States, which has its own arms embargo against China, sells some arms to that country. According to Robert Karniol, Asia specialist for Jane's Defense Weekly, the U.S. has sold jet engines for China's J-8 trainer/light attack aircraft.
The EU and China have forged what they call a "comprehensive strategic partnership." Beijing has said that it is inappropriate for the EU to maintain an arms embargo against its strategic partner. Prime Minister Wen has threatened to downgrade the relationship if the embargo is not lifted. The EU is now China's largest trading partner while China is the EU's second largest trading partner, after the United States. The economies of the EU and China are largely complementary since Europe has a strong industrial base, capital and technology while China offers a huge market and low-cost labor.
In addition, China and Europe or at least certain major European countries, such as France and Germany also share a common geopolitical outlook. They do not like the idea of the United States being the world's only superpower and wish to foster a multi-polar world to constrain American power.
If tensions between China and Taiwan ease, Therefore the EU would feel less inhibited about lifting the embargo, which is seen as an obstacle to an even closer relationship between the EU and China.
THE EU'S BALANCING ACT: SELLING ARMS TO BEIJING - The Jamestown Foundation
Actually, even with the embargo, EU countries are able to sell "non-lethal" weapons to China, from helicopters to advanced radar and diesel engines for submarines. The EU's annual report on arms exports show the value of licenses to sell arms to China totaled 416 million in 2003, against 210 million for 2002. In fact, even the United States, which has its own arms embargo against China, sells some arms to that country. According to Robert Karniol, Asia specialist for Jane's Defense Weekly, the U.S. has sold jet engines for China's J-8 trainer/light attack aircraft.
The EU and China have forged what they call a "comprehensive strategic partnership." Beijing has said that it is inappropriate for the EU to maintain an arms embargo against its strategic partner. Prime Minister Wen has threatened to downgrade the relationship if the embargo is not lifted. The EU is now China's largest trading partner while China is the EU's second largest trading partner, after the United States. The economies of the EU and China are largely complementary since Europe has a strong industrial base, capital and technology while China offers a huge market and low-cost labor.
In addition, China and Europe or at least certain major European countries, such as France and Germany also share a common geopolitical outlook. They do not like the idea of the United States being the world's only superpower and wish to foster a multi-polar world to constrain American power.
If tensions between China and Taiwan ease, Therefore the EU would feel less inhibited about lifting the embargo, which is seen as an obstacle to an even closer relationship between the EU and China.
THE EU'S BALANCING ACT: SELLING ARMS TO BEIJING - The Jamestown Foundation
