EU warned on lifting China arms embargo

EU / CHINA : Ireland should remind European partners pressing to lift the embargo on arms sales to China that there had been…

EU / CHINA: Ireland should remind European partners pressing to lift the embargo on arms sales to China that there had been a massive increase in Beijing's defence spending since the EU ban was imposed after the Tinanmen Square killings in 1989, a former Japanese foreign minister said in Dublin yesterday.

Nobutaka Machimura told the Royal Irish Academy that, in 1989, China's official defence budget was 25 billion yuan (€2.5 billion), but by 2005 this had grown to 245 billion yuan "or a little more than €25 billion". "Experts would say that the real figure is much bigger than that, probably double or three times," he said.

Irish arms exports to China were not significant. "But in talking to your colleagues and friends in Europe please always bear in mind the following, that Chinese defence spending has been growing by more than 10 per cent for a long time. In fact, over the last 17 consecutive years it has grown each and every year by more than 10 per cent," Mr Machimura said.

At the same time, he had very positive expectations for China. "I can even tell you that I am bullish on China. Just like you, we in Japan have benefited hugely from the growth of the Chinese economy," he said.

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But he lamented the lack of freedom of speech, assembly and religion. In bilateral discussions, Chinese officials had requested their Japanese counterparts to "guide" Japanese media coverage of China and it had to be explained to them that the government of Japan could not control the media. Chinese leaders were pressing for the EU arms embargo to be lifted as soon as possible. "There are some leaders in Europe who argue that the time is ripe for them to lift it," Mr Machimura said.

Japan had sold no weaponry to any country since the second World War and he wished as many countries as possible would adopt the same position.

"Although there are a lot of difficulties between Japan and China, we must make every effort to strengthen the ties between the two countries. China is an opportunity, not a threat to Japan at this moment." Claims that Japan and the US were co-operating in a "secret strategy" against China were untrue, Mr Machimura said.

On Japan's joint campaign with Brazil, Germany and India - the so-called "G4" countries - to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Mr Machimura said he hoped "real change" would be decided at the General Assembly in September.