France says the European arms embargo imposed upon China no longer corresponds to the reality of the partnership between the European Union (EU) and China.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Cecile Pozzo di Borgo made the remarks two days before an EU-China summit at the Hague.

Both French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder favor an end to the European arms embargo imposed on China after the Tian'anmen incident in 1989.

But in a resolution on Nov. 17th, the European parliament said it opposed lifting the ban unless the EU adopts a general EU code of conduct on all arms sales as well as concrete improvements in China's human rights record.

The German Bundestag (parliament) also voted for holding on to the embargo, while other countries, such as Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden and Holland have misgivings over public reactions if the embargo is lifted.

(CRI.com December 7, 2004)