IRISH VIEWS ON THE EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001466

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC PHUM EUN
SUBJECT: IRISH VIEWS ON THE EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO

REF: STATE 208511 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Benton, reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D).


1. (C) On September 28, DCM reinforced with David Cooney,
Poltical Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),
reftel talking points and aide-memoire. Cooney said that the
GOI, while fully aware of the U.S. position, could not commit
to opposing the lifting of the China arms embargo within EU
circles. He noted that Ireland would not sell arms to China
in any event, adding that the GOI shared USG concerns about
China's failure to improve its human rights record.


2. (C) In a follow-up discussion on September 30 with
poloff, Niall Brady, DFA First Secretary for Asia, observed
that Ireland did not favor the proposal to lift the embargo,
as the GOI and Irish public shared international concerns
about China's poor human rights record. He described lifting
the ban as a "hard sell domestically." The GOI agreed with
the U.S. position, moreover, that lifting the ban could
adversely affect the East Asian military balance. Brady
believed that the ban would be lifted eventually, but not
before 2005 and certainly not in time for the December
EU-China Summit. He noted that the EU had not yet achieved a
consensus on the issue, particularly with the UK's lack of
enthusiasm for lifting the ban. Like Cooney, Brady could not
offer assurances that Ireland would actively oppose moves
within the EU to lift the ban.
KENNY