CHINA ARMS EMBARGO: SPANISH POSITION UNCHANGED

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000987

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2015
TAGS: PHUM PREL CM SP EUN
SUBJECT: CHINA ARMS EMBARGO: SPANISH POSITION UNCHANGED

REF: STATE 44309

Classified By: Political Officer Ricardo Zuniga for Reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Poloff met with Enrique Mora Benavente, the Head of
EU Policy Planning at the MFA, on March 10 and March 14 to
discuss the China arms embargo, reiterating U.S. concerns
over human rights violations, the possible transfer of U.S.
military technology to China, and the shifting balance of
power in the Taiwan Straits. Mora Benavente said the EU
Foreign Ministers would not address China at the March 16-17
GAERC meetings. He said that the EU was concerned about the
situation in the Taiwan Straits and hoped that any problems
could be resolved peacefully. He referred Poloff to a March
14 EU statement that confirms the EU's commitment to a "One
China" policy and urges all parties "to avoid any unilateral
action which might revive tensions."


2. (C) Spain's position regarding lifting the China arms
embargo remains unchanged. Spain supports an enhanced code
of conduct coupled with a new "toolbox" of measures to
exchange information on weapons sales and help regulate
European arms sales to China. Mora Benavente said that with
the code of conduct and the toolbox arms controls on China
would remain as tight as under the embargo. He hoped that
the current trip to the U.S., Japan, and Australia of a
delegation led by Annalisa Gianella, High Representative
Solana's Special Representative for Nonproliferation Issues,
would help explain the European position regarding the China
arms embargo
MANZANARES