EU: The European Parliament has called on the European Union not to abandon its arms embargo on China and has criticised Beijing's threats against Taiwan as well as its human rights record.
MEPs voted by 431 to 85, with 31 abstentions, in favour of the non-binding motion calling on the EU to agree a code of conduct for arms shipments before lifting the embargo.
The report expressed regret that EU dialogue with China had achieved "progress only in the trade and economic fields, without any substantial achievement as regards human rights and democracy issues".
"Parliament expresses its deepest concern at the large number of missiles in southern China aimed across the Taiwan Straits and at the so-called anti-secession law of the People's Republic of China that, in an unjustified way, aggravates the situation across the straits," the report said.
Germany and France are the principal advocates of lifting the embargo, which was imposed after the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in China were crushed by the Chinese government. The United States opposes lifting the ban, saying that it would be a poor political move which could have security implications for US troops in Asia.
Now the pressure is building in Europe. The European Parliament vote was passed in Strasbourg yesterday with large numbers of Social Democrat votes.
In Berlin, a parliamentary party meeting of Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats yesterday morning made clear that a majority does not support the chancellor's position.
Mr Schröder later clashed with his Green Party coalition partners on the issue in the Bundestag. "I was and am of the opinion that the weapons embargo is dispensable," Mr Schröder said.
The chancellor claimed that China had changed dramatically in the last 15 years and said that lifting the embargo was essential if the EU wanted to build a closer relationship with it. He added: "Germany does not, cannot and will not deliver weapons of war."
Joschka Fischer, the Green Party foreign minister, said it was vital to reach an EU consensus on the matter. "If we want to reach this consensus, I would like to appeal to the Chinese government to understand that it can do a lot to help reach such a consensus. I also see very clearly the problem with Taiwan."
The embargo has put Mr Schröder and Mr Fischer at odds with their own parliamentary parties. Mr Fritz Kühn, the Green foreign policy speaker, appeared to contradict Mr Fischer, telling the Bundestag: "I would like to say on behalf of the Green parliamentary party that, at the moment, we are against lifting the embargo. We want the embargo to be lifted only when there are real, substantial developments."
Opposition leaders attacked Mr Schröder for engaging in opportunistic politics which did not serve Germany's economic or political interests.