China to seek end of arms embargo at Sino-EU summit

[maddezmom]

BEIJING (AFP) - Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will urge the European Union (news - web sites) to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo and call on the continent to view China as a full market economy during an EU-China summit beginning Wednesday in the Hague.


In an effort to boost confidence in the security arena, the two sides will also ink a joint declaration on non-proliferation issues, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said.


They could also sign an accord on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and are mulling a new cooperative economic and trade agreement to replace a 1985 pact that is considered outdated, he said.

~snip~

It was uncertain if the greater willingness to work on security issues would result in the EU lifting the arms ban, but European officials said during a recent foreign ministers meeting that a "positive signal" on its removal would be made at the summit, Zhang said.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1530&ncid=732&e=3&u=/afp/20041206/wl_asia_afp/eu_china_summit

[maddezmom]

1. Schroeder in China to oversee raft of business deals, discuss arms ban

China is one of Germany's top two important trading partners and Germany's export-driven economy will be given a significant boost during the trip, German government sources said.


The head of industrial conglomerate Siemens, Heinrich von Pierer, is expected to announce an order by China for 180 locomotives worth up to 360 million euros (478 million dollars).


Aircraft manufacturer Airbus, meanwhile, is set to unveil a deal worth 1.1 billion euros (1.4 billion dollars) to supply 32 of its A319 and A320 jets to Chinese airlines.

~snip~
The Wall Street Journal said last week Beijing was holding up the deal because of the European Union (news - web sites)'s refusal to lift the 15-year-old ban on arms sales to China. This was strenuously denied by Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1530&ncid=732&e=1&u=/afp/20041206/wl_asia_afp/china_germany

[maddezmom]

3. China signs US$2.1B worth of contracts for 23 Airbus jets, German goods

BEIJING (AP) - China signed contracts Monday worth nearly $2.1 billion US to buy 23 Airbus jetliners and other German industrial goods.


The $1.3-billion Airbus deal calls for a state company that buys aircraft for China's airlines to buy A319, A320 and A321 jets, according to German officials. Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG is a major shareholder in the European consortium that owns Airbus SAS.


China also signed contracts with German industrial giant Siemens AG (news - web sites) to purchase railway locomotives worth $480 million and power-generation equipment for $280 million, according to Schroeder's delegation.


Also Monday, the German leader attended the laying of a cornerstone for a new Beijing factory built by DaimlerChrysler and a Chinese joint-venture partner.


German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, meanwhile, renewed his call for an end to a European arms Embargo on China after meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1821&ncid=731&e=8&u=/cpress/20041206/ca_pr_on_bu/china_germany

[aneerkoinos]

2. I don't think we should lift the arms ban

unless China puts at least moratorium on death sentenses and allows unions.

But we will, because of Bush. What a sad world.