Written question asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 February 2005. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 February 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons his Department supports the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China. - Inc ref to 3 June 1998, 313 c240-1.

Answer: Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons his Department supports the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China. [210470] Mr. Rammell: The Government supported the December 2003 European Council decision to review the EU's arms embargo on China, imposed in view of circumstances in 1989. At that time there was no EU Code of Conduct, under which most refusals for arms exports from the EU to China are now made. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said on 12 January 2005 to the Quadripartite Committee, the Government could envisage embargo lift subject to satisfaction on the issues laid out in the European Council Conclusions of December 2004. This included the statement that "the result of any decision should not be an increase of arms exports from EU member states to China, neither in quantitative nor in qualitative terms." Until the review process is complete, the Government continues to implement the Arms Embargo as set out by the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the late Derek Fatchett, in his reply on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 240-41.to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker)

Secondary information