U.S. may lift Chinese arms embargo
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The United States appears ready to lift its 21-year-old arms embargo against China in the wake of President Obama's request on Saturday to ease restrictions on the sale of cargo aircraft to Beijing.
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US President Obama has announced his desire to see C-130 cargo aircraft sold to China, a possible sign Washington may soon lift its arms embargo on Beijing. [China Daily] |
Should the proposal pass in both Houses of Congress, this will signal the first time since 1989 that the US has exported arms to China.
Obama stressed in his letter that C-130 cargo aircraft are to be deployed in response to oil spills at sea. However, he did not specify a date or financial cost for an imminent export.
License requirements shall remain in place for these exports, and will require review and approval on an ongoing, case-by-case basis by US government officials.
The C-130 cargo aircraft - also known as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules - is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built in the 1950s. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft.
The aircraft have been widely used by NATO and coalition troops on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. The C-130 has so far been exported to more than 50 countries worldwide.
Washington has exported to China Black Hawk helicopters and other advanced armaments in the 1980s, but has also led Western countries in its restriction of high-tech weapons sales to Beijing since 1989.
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