E.U. SEES DIFFICULTIES IN LIFTING ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA: MOFA
ROC Central News Agency
2005-04-12 15:54:12
Taipei, April 12 (CNA) The European Union (E. U.) has seen growing difficulties regarding a proposed lifting of its arms embargo against mainland China following Beijing's enactment of the Anti- Secession Law against Taiwan, an official from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
Larry Yu-yuan Wang, director-general of the MOFA's European Affairs Department, said that the E.U. feels that it is more difficult to make the move in the wake of the March 14 enactment of the law which authorizes the use of "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan should the island move toward formal independence.
Citing public response in Britain to Beijing's enactment of the law, Wang pointed out that the E. U. has changed its original stance of aiming to lift the ban in the second half of this year.
As Britain will assume the E.U.'s rotating presidency in the second half of 2005, observers see a number of uncertainties standing in the way of the E.U. lifting the ban due to Britain's close links with the United States, Wang said, adding that the MOFA's outposts will continue to closely monitor developments.
Wang's comments came one day after a Hong Kong media report that China will purchase 210 Mirage 2000-9CS fighters from France after the E. U. lifts its ban on weapons exports to China. The ban was imposed in the aftermath of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tianamen Square in June 1989.
(By Flor Wang)
ENDITEM/Li
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