Bush expresses concern over EU plan to end China arms embargo News
Bush expresses concern over EU plan to end China arms embargo

[JURIST] President Bush has urged European leaders to reconsider plans to end a 15-year-old arms embargo on China, arguing that it could jeopardize US security guarantees for Taiwan. Bush was expected to press the issue during his visit to the EU after the US House almost unanimously approved a resolution [text] earlier this month to urge the EU to maintain the embargo. Lifting the embargo would open Chinese markets to European arms manufacturers, a result supported by French President Jacques Chirac. Chirac said the embargo, which was imposed after the Chinese government crushed the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, was no longer justified. However, Chirac has said the decision to lift the embargo should be reached by both EU and US leaders. Bloomberg has more.