Referendum shows up French gall

[dArKeR]

When Chinese President Hu Jintao (???) was done with his Lunar New Year show, "Visiting The Poor To See How They Are Doing," he dashed off on a foreign tour with France being the most important stop. The reason France is so important is that it is one of the most important members of the EU. Since France also often takes the lead in opposing the US, it has become a natural strategic partner of China's.

Hu brought with him two major demands on his visit to France. First, he wanted France to oppose a referendum (Set for Taiwan), and, second, he wanted France to use its influence in the EU to lift the ban on arms sales to China. On Jan. 26, the same day Hu arrived in France, a meeting between EU foreign ministers in the General Affairs and External Relations Council turned down France's suggestion that the EU embargo on the sale of arms to China be lifted prior to April 1, with some countries saying they needed further proof showing that China's human-rights record has been improved.

Some countries also warned that a lifting of the embargo should not be rushed at a time when the relationship between Beijing and Taiwan was tense due to the March 20 referendum. They did agree, however, to reconsider a lifting of the ban at their spring session, and invited the Permanent Representative Committee and the Political and Security Committee to look into the matter.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/02/06/2003097681