Dont arm China
The week's news at a glance.
Brussels
European Union foreign ministers this week rejected France’s request to lift an E.U. ban on selling weapons to China. The E.U. imposed the ban after Beijing killed pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, in 1989. E.U. law requires European countries to ensure that the weapons they sell are not used for internal repression or foreign aggression, or anywhere serious human-rights violations have occurred. The E.U. found China guilty of such violations just last year. But French President Jacques Chirac called this week for the embargo to be lifted, saying it “no longer corresponds with the political reality of the contemporary world.” E.U. ministers voted 14 to 1 to keep the ban.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.