Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

The Government's position on the lifting of the EU arms embargo on arms sales to China is clear. We support the lifting of the embargo but do not wish to see any increase in the quantity or quality of arms exports to China.

The arms embargo was first introduced in 1989 in reaction to the events of Tiananmen Square. There was no EU arms embargo against China before 1989. China today is a very different society than it was in 1989. It is unquestionably a freer society, even if respect for fundamental human rights is still significantly less than we would wish.

China has asked the EU to lift the embargo. It argues, rightly in my view, that it does not belong among the category of rogue states, including Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe, against which the EU also maintains an arms embargo.

China states that it regards the lifting of the embargo as a symbolic gesture and that it does not regard it as an excuse to increase arms imports from the EU. The Government's approach is therefore that the Union should lift the formal embargo, while at the same time taking care to ensure there is no increase in EU arms exports to China. Our position was set out by the Taoiseach during his visit to Beijing in January 2005, when he also explained the importance to the EU of continued progress in the promotion and protection of human rights in China.

The European Council meeting in December 2004 reaffirmed its political will to continue to work towards lifting the arms embargo. It invited the incoming Luxembourg Presidency to finalise the well-advanced work on this issue in order to allow for a decision, while underlining that the result of any decision should not be an increase in arms exports from EU member states to China.

The Council also recalled the importance of the EU code of conduct on arms exports, which has been in operation since 1998 and contains criteria for assessing such exports, including those relating to human rights, stability and security in the relevant region and the national security of friendly countries. The Council stressed the importance of the early adoption of a revised code of conduct, on which work is continuing and which will reinforce existing EU controls, and of a new instrument on arms exports known as the "Toolbox". This instrument is being developed by the EU and comprises a set of measures which may be applied to a country when an arms embargo against it has been lifted. Essentially, it will provide for a greater level of information sharing and enhanced transparency within the EU regarding arms exports to countries which had been subject to an arms embargo.

As the EU works towards lifting the arms embargo, it has also engaged in recent weeks in a dialogue on the issue at senior official level with key partners, including the USA, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia. EU Foreign Ministers reiterated their wish to develop further the relationship with China when they met for an informal discussion in Luxembourg on 15 and 16 April. The importance attached by the Union to human rights and the peaceful resolution of differences was reiterated in this context. The Ministers also agreed to continue to work on strengthening the code of conduct and on the so-called "Toolbox", in line with the European Council mandate.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Government continues to examine this issue with our EU partners in the context of our overall relationship with China, our ongoing commitment to human rights and the broader regional and international context. EU Ministers will resume consideration of a decision on lifting the embargo once technical work on revising the EU code of conduct on arms exports has been completed. A decision to lift the embargo will require unanimous approval among member states.

See this speech in context