China Press

France calls to lift China arms embargo

France Thursday renewed the call for the lifting of the EU ams embargo on China, denouncing opposition to the move as illogical, according to a news report.

France's Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie Thursday called it "paradoxical" to "maintain the embargo for political reasons while at the same time giving China the Olympics, which are supposed to go solely to countries that respect international rules."

Alliot-Marie said lifting the embargo would not pose a threat, arguing that European and French rules on arms exports "are even stricter than the rules of the embargo," according to the report.

Outgoing French President Jacques Chirac has been a chief proponent of ending the arms embargo.

Japan and the United States have protested the move and voiced concern about China's military spending, which is due to rise some 18 percent this year.

But Alliot-Marie said it was "normal" for China "to expand its defense equipment in light of the role that it is playing and will be drawn to play in the world due to its population and economic power."

China has said the growth is primarily caused by the sharp increase in the wages, living expenses and pensions of 2.3 million People's Liberation Army officers, civilian personnel, soldiers and army retirees.

Alliot-Marie acknowledged there had to be "a consensus by all European countries to lift the embargo" and that it "doesn't exist today."

In particular, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has opposed lifting the embargo.