UK ON EU ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA: SMOKE BUT NO FIRE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000367 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, EAP/CM, PM/RSAT, AND ISN/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2020 TAGS: PREL PARM EUN CN UK SUBJECT: UK ON EU ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA: SMOKE BUT NO FIRE REF: STATE 13969 Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C/NF) Responding to reftel, Foreign Office China External and Taiwan Team leader Matthew Moody described for Poloff February 18 the recent Spanish suggestion of a shift in the EU's arms embargo on China as "smoke without fire." He intimated that the UK had been "surprised" by the statements of the Spanish Ambassador to China's comments to the Chinese press and that the UK made representations in Beijing, Madrid, and Brussels to the Spanish on the issue. The Spanish told the UK that their Ambassador had been misquoted and that he had simply stated that the arms embargo is "under review by the EU," which Moody confirmed is and has been the case since the GAERC conclusions of December 2004. Moody explained that "general consensus" remains in the EU that now is not/not the right time to change the arms embargo because of concerns about human rights and security issues. He further said that when and if the EU does actively consider a shift, the UK will want the discussion to happen amongst the 27 EU member states and to include consultations with partners in the region, like the U.S. and Japan. Moody assessed that the Spanish would no longer be raising the issue. ¶2. (C/NF) ACTION REQUEST: Moody raised the EU's code of conduct and "toolbox" of export controls, which he noted were legally binding, and requested additional information on the USG's thinking on why they could not replace the embargo. Embassy London requests instructions on how to respond to the Foreign Office's query about USG thinking on the code of conduct. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom SUSMAN