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The Lifting Of The European Union Arms Embargo Against China And Its Potential Impact On East Asian Security (Zrušenie Embarga Na Vývoz Zbraní Z Európskej Únie Do Číny A Jeho Potenciálny Dopad Na Bezpečnosť Vo Východoázijskom Regióne)

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  • Chong-Ko Peter Tzou

    (Graduate Institute of European Studies, Tamkang University)

Abstract

Following the Tiananmen Square incident on 4th June 1989, the European Union (EU) launched a resolution to establish an arms embargo against China. However, the ties between the EU and China have grown closer over recent years because of the recent Chinese economic boom. The potential lifting of the EU arms embargo has now become a major issue in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2003, France has been considering lifting the ban of arms sales to China; it is an important signal for the EU in treating China to strengthen the relations in trade. However, this message has been interpreted differently by a large part of the international community. Many European countries have expressed their concerns about China’s human rights record, military buildup, and the increasing threat towards Taiwan. Moreover, China’s ratification of the Anti-Secession Law against Taiwan has become solid evidence of its military threat towards Taiwan. It was due to the U.S. intervention that the lifting of the ban was temporarily postponed. However, with the deterioration of the Eurozone debt crisis, the issue of the EU arms embargo on China has appeared again in the dialogue of the EU-China relations. The position to lift the arms embargo has become stronger because of European sovereign debt crisis recently. In 2010, the EU’s Spanish presidency was considering lifting the bloc’s arms embargo on China again. If the embargo is lifted, China could acquire the most advanced technology of arms from the EU countries more easily. It may also cause serious tensions between Taiwan and China, and force the U.S. to face new challenges in security strategies in the Asia-Pacific area. Meanwhile, East Asian geopolitical system will be reconstructed and a new balance of power will be created. This paper looks into these issues from the perspective of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. It attempts to explain why the EU has considered lifting the arms embargo against China. The paper analyzes the evolution of this issue from several aspects, and discusses the potential threat towards cross-strait relations, the security dilemma and its possible impact as a security crisis in the East Asian and Asian region. (Po incidente na Námestí nebeského pokoja v Pekingu zo 4. júna 1989 uvalila Európska únia (EÚ) embargo na vývoz zbraní do Číny. V poslednom období sa však vďaka rýchlemu hospodárskemu rastu Číny prehlbujú väzby medzi ríšou stredu a EÚ a potenciálne zrušenie zbrojného embarga sa stalo zásadnou témou debát v ázijsko-pacifickom regióne. Významným indikátorom meniacich sa vzťahov medzi EÚ a Čínou je fakt, že už od roku 2003 Francúzsko zvažuje zrušenie zbrojného embarga. Cieľom tohto kroku je posilnenie vzájomných obchodných vzťahov. Francúzska iniciatíva sa stretla s rozdielnymi reakciami medzinárodného spoločenstva. Mnohé európske štáty prejavili svoje obavy z čínskeho postoja k ľudským právam, z budovania armády a rastúcej hrozby voči Tajvanu. Navyše, čínske prijatie Zákona proti odčleneniu Tajvanu sa stalo dôkazom stálej čínskej hrozby voči Tajvanu. Z týchto dôvodov bolo po intervencii USA zrušenie zbrojného embarga dočasne pozastavené. Zhoršujúca sa dlhová kríza v eurozóne však opäť vyniesla debatu o možnom zrušení embarga do popredia. Hlasy volajúce po zrušení embarga sú čoraz silnejšie a v roku 2010 sa španielske predsedníctvo EÚ pokúsilo znovu otvoriť túto tému. Ak sa zbrojné embargo zruší, Čína bude mať jednoduchší prístup k najpokročilejším zbrojárskym technológiám. To môže viesť k vážnemu napätiu medzi Čínou a Tajvanom a prinesie nové výzvy pre americké bezpečnostné stratégie v oblasti Ázie a Pacifiku. Vytvorí sa nový východoázijský geopolitický systém a nová mocenská rovnováha. Prekladaný článok nazerá na uvedenú problematiku z hľadiska spoločnej zahraničnej a bezpečnostnej politiky EÚ. Vysvetľuje, prečo EÚ zvažuje zrušenie embarga. Analyzuje vývoj tejto otázky z viacerých hľadísk a skúma potenciálne hrozby daného kroku pre čínsko-tajvanské vzťahy, bezpečnostnú dilemu a jej možné dopady na východoázijský región vo forme bezpečnostnej krízy.)

Suggested Citation

  • Chong-Ko Peter Tzou, 2015. "The Lifting Of The European Union Arms Embargo Against China And Its Potential Impact On East Asian Security (Zrušenie Embarga Na Vývoz Zbraní Z Európskej Únie Do Číny A Jeho Potenciálny Dopad Na Bezp," Medzinarodne vztahy (Journal of International Relations), Ekonomická univerzita, Fakulta medzinárodných vzťahov, vol. 13(1), pages 8-29.
  • Handle: RePEc:brv:journl:v:13:y:2015:i:1:p:8-29
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    arms embargo; arms exports; European Union; China; security;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F51 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions
    • F52 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - National Security; Economic Nationalism

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