Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04MADRID2416
2004-06-25 15:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPANISH RESPONSE: MAINTAINING THE EU ARMS EMBARGO

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR CH TW SP EUN 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002416 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR CH TW SP EUN
SUBJECT: SPANISH RESPONSE: MAINTAINING THE EU ARMS EMBARGO
ON CHINA

REF: STATE 137493

Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for Reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002416

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR CH TW SP EUN
SUBJECT: SPANISH RESPONSE: MAINTAINING THE EU ARMS EMBARGO
ON CHINA

REF: STATE 137493

Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for Reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Spain continues to say that they believe the
human rights situation in China is improving and that the EU
arms embargo no longer makes sense. (Note: In our various
approaches to senior levels of the previous government, we
received a similar response.) Spain believes that it is
important for the EU to send a positive signal to China,
given the importance of the growing commercial interests
between the two, and doubts that any actual arms sales will
take place due to EU Code of Conduct restrictions. While the
GOS says that no date has been set, our interlocutors
acknowledge that some in the EU would like the lifting of the
embargo to take place this December. Regarding the threat
posed by sales of advanced arms to China, the GOS places the
blame for tensions in the region on Taiwan. Embassy
delivered the demarche solo, as after agreement to deliver
the demarche jointly with our Japanese colleagues, the
Japanese embassy in Madrid later received instructions from
the Japanese MFA not to accom
pany us.


2. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on June 25 to Enrique
Mora, Director of the MFA's Office of EU Foreign Policy and
Common Security. DCM is reinforcing our concerns with Deputy
Foreign Minister Bernadino Leon. We had initially reached an
agreement with the Japanese Political Counselor in Madrid,
Kyoko Koga, to deliver the demarche jointly. However, when
Ms. Koga contacted her MFA superiors in Tokyo, she was told
that they had just received our talking points that morning
in Japan, and that after studying the document, they were
declining to accompany us on the demarche.


3. (C) Mora stated that Spain continues to disagree with us
on the trend in human rights in China, as they view the
situation as improving. He said that maintaining the arms
embargo had become "ridiculous" and that China did not belong
in the league of other countries that the EU denies arms
sales (Haiti, Sudan, etc.). He noted that the EU was now the
largest trading partner with China, surpassing the US and
Japan, and that the EU needed to send a positive signal to
China in order to keep building their "strategic
relationship". Mora acknowledged that some EU countries were
pushing to announce the lifting of the embargo at the
December EU-China summit, but said that no date had been
fixed. He added that some EU states, such as Denmark, may
want to make the lifting of the embargo subject to certain
conditions, such as the release of political prisoners or
decreasing the use of the death penalty.


4. (C) When we pressed on the threat posed by sales of
advanced weaponry to China, especially given past Chinese
actions, threats and posturing, Mora blamed Taiwan, replying
that the situation "only heats up when the Taiwanese heat it
up". He compared Chinese remarks and posturing to Spain's
position over Gibraltar (though when we made the comparison
that Spain does not practice invasions of Gibraltar or
conduct missile tests in the area, he agreed that Chinese
behavior was different). We also noted Chinese territorial
and maritime claims against Japan, Vietnam and the
Philippines, to which Mora acknowledged that the situation
was more than just about Taiwan.


5. (C) Mora stressed Spain's continuing belief that the EU
Code of Conduct would prohibit any actual arms sales to
China, and noted Russia as an example. He said that the
lifting of the embargo would only be symbolic, but that the
symbolism was important to improve relations with China and
that bringing China into the world community would increase
security.


6. (C) Mora acknowledged our offer to provide intelligence
briefings on trends in PRC military modernization, but did
not express an interest in receiving the briefings, saying
only that he would pass the offer along.
ARGYROS