H
HagiaSophia
Guest
"Russia, meanwhile, says it is satisfied the mullahs are not playing with nuclear fire and it will go on helping Iran’s peaceful nuclear power program. Score one for a rapprochement between the EU and Russia over Iran.
Next comes the EU plan to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo against China next June. Mr. Bush said this would be a mistake, but he is withholding judgment until he sees a promised new EU regime that would carefully regulate nonlethal military sales to China.
Until now, EU members have done pretty much what they can get away with. Germany, for example, has sold diesel engines to China for its submarine fleet. This sale was approved on the laughable ground the engines were widely used for civilian purposes all over the world.
Like it or not, say the Europeans, China is headed for superpowerdom in the foreseeable future. Its human-rights record, while still poor, has improved immeasurably since the Tiananmen Square massacre June 4, 1989. The Chinese government doesn’t bother anyone who wants to make a fortune in business so long as they keep their nose out of politics.
And China has become a global economic behemoth. There is little doubt China will use some of its $200 billion in U.S. Treasury paper to buy the wherewithal to become strong enough to overwhelm Taiwan in a showdown."…
washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050228-084038-2488r.htm
Next comes the EU plan to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo against China next June. Mr. Bush said this would be a mistake, but he is withholding judgment until he sees a promised new EU regime that would carefully regulate nonlethal military sales to China.
Until now, EU members have done pretty much what they can get away with. Germany, for example, has sold diesel engines to China for its submarine fleet. This sale was approved on the laughable ground the engines were widely used for civilian purposes all over the world.
Like it or not, say the Europeans, China is headed for superpowerdom in the foreseeable future. Its human-rights record, while still poor, has improved immeasurably since the Tiananmen Square massacre June 4, 1989. The Chinese government doesn’t bother anyone who wants to make a fortune in business so long as they keep their nose out of politics.
And China has become a global economic behemoth. There is little doubt China will use some of its $200 billion in U.S. Treasury paper to buy the wherewithal to become strong enough to overwhelm Taiwan in a showdown."…
washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050228-084038-2488r.htm