China
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Mr John Hayes (Shadow Minister, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the maintenance of the EU arms embargo against the People's Republic of China; and what representations he has received from (a) the People's Republic of China, (b) businesses, (c) Chinese organisations campaigning for democracy in China and (d) other EU countries and institutions, on this issue.

Mr Denis MacShane (Minister of State (Europe), Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Rotherham, Labour)

The Government support the decision of the European Council in December 2003 to review the EU Arms Embargo on China. This review is on-going—it was last discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the 13 December General Affairs and External Relations Council. The Government do not wish to exclude any options for the review, nor to pre-empt the conclusion of the review.

In recent contacts with representatives of Her Majesty's Government, Chinese Ministers have expressed an interest in the review of the embargo. The Chinese Foreign Minister has raised the subject with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. I am unaware of any representations to him from business or Chinese NGOs on this question.The Government continue to implement the Arms Embargo as set out by the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the late Derek Fatchett, in his reply to my hon. Friend Vernon Coaker on 3 June 1998.