EU rethinks China arms embargo. Think again.
Time reports that the EU are considering appeasing China with a lifting of the arms embargo that has existed since the CCP got a bit trigger happy with their own youth a couple of decades ago. They should seriously think again. Why? For the answer one need look no further than this excerpt from the Time report (my bold):
The weapons ban has certainly not prevented China from becoming a military power — its annual defense budget officially stands at $70 billion, although the Pentagon believes the real figure to be twice as high. Rather, Beijing sees the embargo as outdated and insulting, considering the other nations currently subject to an E.U. arms ban are all pariah states — Congo, North Korea, Iran, Burma, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
And which country do these ‘pariah states’ - together with their despotic leaders – turn to for their arms?
And that’s reason enough to lock in the embargo indefinitely, because ultimately EU arms sold to China (or wonderfully accurate copies thereof) will end up in the hands of those very states that Beijing finds it so offensive to be linked with.
Update
China’s next rogue state nurturing project: Sri Lanka
February 11th, 2010 at 12:15 am
No real news, Stuart – just that some EU politicians wanted a good atmosphere on an event in Chongqing (China Daily report). The Time article itself suggests that the EU attitude has rather hardened than softened, re lifting the arms embargo.
Earlier this decade, both France and Germany actively advocated lifting the embargo – the article says that France now apparently wants it to stay in place.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:40 am
I think that the west is showing double standards here. While it is true that Chinese arms sales to some states is appalling, the west has done it for decades.
The US now sells arms ( maybe even nuclear technology and fuel, since Israel is ambiguous about its nuclear capabilities) to Israel, which Israel uses in Gaza.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:16 am
@ justrecently
You’re right, of course.
I just wanted to point to the absurdity of Beijing’s objection and what a totally crackpot notion lifting the embargo is.
February 11th, 2010 at 7:22 am
How about the facts that the Al Queda and Taliban were once trained and armed by the US?
FYI, the United States is the top supplier of weapons to the developing world9 where arms could easily end up with the terrorists and despotic states, accounting for around 36% of worldwide weapons sales, followed by Russia, United Kingdom, Germany and China.(WIKI)
Also, remember the Iran Contra deal and the American trained and armed ALQueda and Taliban. China has no such unfortunate records.
February 11th, 2010 at 11:11 am
“FYI, the United States is the top supplier of weapons to the developing world…”
Perhaps, but not to the rogue’s gallery mentioned in the Time article.
February 11th, 2010 at 11:23 am
@ Maitreya Bhakal
Thanks for commenting – your contributions got caught up in my spam filter for a while.
“…the west has done it for decades.”
For sure, but it’s a damn poor excuse for behaviour that does little to alleviate suffering in this world.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:48 am
“…the west has done it for decades.”
I think I am going to barf, the next time I hear this crap. People who say this do not know their history. Apart from the “west have done that, so it’s OK for China do it, too” tripe, they forget how it came to be so.
Start at the “cold war” era. The two superpowers would do anything to get a foot-hold, however tenuous, in any part of the world. Even if it meant propping up any old dictator. And old habits die hard…
But sometime in Dubiya’s era, the US found it did not work for them: It was coming back to bite their butt, never mind the harm it did to their global image. They could not afford this, and they are a superpower!
Face it: It’s a past mistake that has been learnt from by the “west”, but not by China (read: CCP).
February 12th, 2010 at 2:27 am
Hehe. Would you please make sure that you barf into MAC‘s direction? That shouldn’t make things much worse.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
@stuart
I’m surprised that my comments ended up in your spam folder.I’ve not used any even mildly offensive words. Try checking your settings.
@stuart, @Neddy
We all agree that the west has done it for decades and “alleviated suffering in the world”. And we also agree that this excuse for China doing so may not be justifiable. However, by the same standard, the west also has no justification for questioning China’s arms sales.
In any case, China has stopped or largely halted its arms sales to African dictatorships and other countries.
Remember, only those who drink too much are liable to barf.
Maitreya Bhakal
India’s China Blog – http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com
February 13th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Well, well, well, it is the same old bunch of guys who have nothing better to do (myself included) going back and forth arguing over the same old BS that stuart can’t stop whining about. China the evil empire. China this. China that. China meah meah meah. I bet you will be whining about the same stuff for the rest of your life stuart. What a miserable life do you have huh, stuart?
I say screw those self-righteous European old farts, China. What weapons do you need from them anyway? It is about time China relies on its indigenous technologies, albeit a bit backward. Lian Zhe Bu Shou Jie Lai Zhi Shi, right China? Certainly not from these European old farts.
February 13th, 2010 at 8:28 am
“Face it: It’s a past mistake that has been learnt from by the “west”, but not by China (read: CCP).”
Screw that. The west has learnt? Learnt what? How is Saudi Arabia better than any of those “pariah states”? You people happily supply them anything they want, don’t you?
February 13th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
@ Juche,
I’m perfectly content, thank you – and especially proud of my efforts to keep China’s lamentable leadership a bit more honest than they are naturally inclined to be.
As for technology, China can have all she wants if she can demonstrate an understanding of what it is to be a responsible stakeholder. Alas, that can’t happen so long as the CCP are at the controls. *shudder*
February 13th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
“Perhaps, but not to the rogue’s gallery mentioned in the Time article.”
MAC: This should not mean it is ok for US to continue its behavior. A global guidance should be worked out so that every country is need to follow, not just for China while the west claim exemption.
February 13th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
@Neddy
“I think I am going to barf, the next time I hear this crap. People who say this do not know their history. Apart from the “west have done that, so it’s OK for China do it, too” tripe, they forget how it came to be so..”
MAC:China did not say that it was ok for China to do something bad just because the west has done it. But what it is trying to point out is that if there is a specific act that should not be done by any country, then there must be global guidance and adherence not to do the act again. The trouble is the west has not acknowleded, admitted or express any regrets of its transgressions and vowed not repeat them again while we have people like Stuart constantly pointing out that the west’s transgressions are irrelevant those did not disqualify the west from occupying the moral high ground to criticise others for the same act. Where is the West’s sincerity to solve global problems?
While the US has its reasons and excuses for the transgressions it has done, what makes the west think there are no justifiable reasons for others to do the same act? The US acted out of consideration for its security, I am sure China did so for same reasons. Bottom line is every country should adhere to same standards of behavior.
@stuart
“As for technology, China can have all she wants if she can demonstrate an understanding of what it is to be a responsible stakeholder.”
MAC:I am sure China welcome what is good for its security but not at the expense of its principles, sovereignty, stability and security of its people.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
“A global guidance should be worked out so that every country is need to follow…”
That will require independent audits and verification, which China (think Copenhagen) consistently baulks at.
Now why is that, I wonder?
February 14th, 2010 at 12:22 am
“especially proud of my efforts to keep China’s lamentable leadership a bit more honest than they are naturally inclined to be.”
I’m sure the boys at Zhongnanhai stay awake all nite to hear what the un-official rep of the “western world ” have had to say … don’t get too head-swell though, it might explode.
@10 .. know what a broken record sounds like ?
February 14th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Insightful as always, st
February 15th, 2010 at 12:48 am
@stuart
“That will require independent audits and verification, which China (think Copenhagen) consistently baulks at.
Now why is that, I wonder?”
MAC: The Copenhagen meeting was very recent why the west transgressions happen since last few hundred years, surely the west could not use it to exempt themselves from internationally accepted code of conducts. Further, during the copenhagen meeting, China and the developing countries only rejected audit for areas where the developing world have non-binding agreement while for areas where binding agreement applies, the developing has agreed to audits. I do not think that the Copenhagen meeting should be used as a excuse for the west to avoid discussing how internationally accepted codes of conduct for the general good of this world.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
“…the west transgressions happen since last few hundred years…”
The thing I like about the globe is that if you keep going west you come right back to China.
February 21st, 2010 at 5:40 pm
@stuart
Please go and read up history of the world so that you do not continue spill lies and misinformation.
February 21st, 2010 at 6:20 pm
“Please go and read up history of the world…”
This blog is more about today and tomorrow, except when it comes to the revisionist, one-dimensional view of past events created by the CCP for their historically-challenged populace.
February 21st, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Remember, only those who drink too much are liable to barf. (#9)
If I could make this line come true, it could earn me the noble prize for medicine.