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EU not to lift arms embargo on China

IRNA

Brussels, Dec 2, IRNA -- The European Commission, the EU`s executive 
arm, said Tuesday that the European bloc cannot consider lifting an 
arms embargo before China shows progress on human rights. 
"This is an issue raised regularly with us by the Chinese," 
Emma Udwin, Commission spokeswoman for external relations, told a 
press briefing in Brussels this afternoon, noting that the EU arms 
embargo on China is in place since the events of Tiananmen square in 
Beijing in 1989. 
"There has been a feeling that the Chinese would need to 
demonstrate very clearly the progress made in human rights before a 
lifting of the arms embargo can be considered," she said. 
"Obviously it takes more than one member state to shift this," 
Udwin said in reply to a reporter`s question on statements made by 
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder who indicated during a China visit
Monday that he supported the lifting of the EU arms embargo. 
"The Council as a whole would need to feel that substantial 
progress has been made on human rights before a lifting of arms 
embargo would be likely," added the spokeswoman. 
NK/212 
End