Commercial Deals will not Help Lift EU's Arms Embargo Against China （Tian Dewen）

Countries against lifting arm embargo such as the U.K, the Netherland, and Germany, have turned into “a tame opposition.”

A close business relation with Spain will help little to push the European Union to lift arms embargo against China as anticipated by many people, an industry expert told Caijing, referring to the agreements and commercial contracts worth as much as 7.5 billion U.S. dollars to be signed between China and Spain during vice premier Li Keqiang’s three-day visit in Madrid.

Chances are “small” for the European Union to lift the arm embargo against China, said Tian Dewen, an expert on Europe studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Some members of the bloc including Spain and France are taking a positive attitude to lift the embargo, but for years of waiting, there are no signs for the EU to move further, Tian said.

Chinese Vice premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday reaffirmed China’s pledges to shore up Spain’s ailing by buying Spanish bonds, reported by EFE News Agency.

"China's support of the EU's financial stabilization measures and its help to certain countries in coping with the sovereign debt crisis are all conducive to promoting full economic recovery and steady growth," Li said in an opinion piece published in the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, some foreign media also expressed doubt about China’s intention to deliver such a generous aid, with the The Times one of them.

The newspaper said that Spain had been involved in a secret operation to boost the lifting of the arms embargo, which has been in place for 21 years. When chairing the EU presidency in 2010, Spain tried to lift the embargo but failed due to intervention of Washington, it said.

It has learned that EU members are disagreeing over whether to lift the ban. Some in Eastern Europe even came up with strings attached.

But things are changing. Countries against lifting arm embargo such as the U.K, the Netherland, and Germany, have turned into “a tame opposition.”

The arm embargo against China is expected to be lifted in early 2011, forecasted by Le Figaro. China has made great achievements in the nation’s defense construction; therefore, the arm embargo “in fact hasn’t produced too much impact on China,” the newspaper said.

Despite those, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Chaoxu early this year urged the EU to lift its arm embargo to boost relations.

According to Tian Dewen, China’s appeal is more symbolic than anything else — it would signal a European acceptance of the country's status as an equal player on the world stage.

http://english.caijing.com.cn/2011-01-06/110612239.html