Rice: Taiwan tension may make Europe reconsider Chinese arms sales
New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) - China's new law authorising military force against Taiwan could make Europe think twice about selling new weaponry to the Chinese, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said overnight (HK time).
She has a long agenda in Beijing later this week, a visit made more delicate by China's decision to codify a threat to attack Taiwan if the island declares independence. The Bush administration criticised the move, and Dr Rice said she will discuss it with Chinese leaders.
Dr Rice said the law may make European nations reconsider resuming weapons sales that were suspended after the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square. So far, the United States has been unable to persuade the European Union to continue the embargo, despite a major diplomatic offensive from Dr Rice.
"The Europeans ... know very well our views on the arms embargo, that this is not a time to end the arms embargo," Dr Rice told reporters en route to India, first stop on her one-week trip. "I would hope it would at least remind the Europeans that there are still serious security issues in this region." Dr Rice, in Asia for talks this week, also said she will not let North Korea play the United States and its allies against each other in an attempt to hang onto its nuclear weapons programme.
Dr Rice may use her visits to India and Pakistan to discuss new sales of F-16 fighter planes to the neighbouring, rival countries. They have fought three wars since their 1947 independence from Britain. A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no announcement of new weapons sales was expected during the trip.
Dr Rice will make her first trip to Afghanistan before stops in East Asia, and said she will raise US demands for democratic or human rights reforms at every stop, including Beijing.
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12/12/2004
11/12/2019 10:08
