China says it has no need for "expensive" and "useless" European weapons

BEIJING - China said Saturday it does not need the European Union's "expensive" and "useless" weapons, but called for an end to the EU arms embargo, saying it amounted to "political discrimination."
"Actually China is committed to peaceful development. We do not have the need to buy a lot of advanced weapons from the European Union," foreign minister Li Zhaoxing said.
"China is a developing country, we do not have the money to buy a lot of weapons from your country that are very expensive and useless to us," said Li at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual National People's Congress (NPC) parliamentary session.
China has been urging the European Union to lift the 15-year embargo imposed following the violent crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989, which left hundreds, if not thousands, of unarmed citizens and protesters dead.
The bloc is poised to lift the embargo as early as June, but opponents have warned China could use weapons purchases to wage war against Taiwan, an island Beijing believes must be reunified.
A key task of the National People's Congress during its session which opened Saturday will be to pass a law aimed at curbing any Taiwanese bid for formal independence.
Human rights groups as well as the United States have urged the European Union not to lift the weapons ban.
Li voiced optimism Sunday that the "anti-secession" law aimed at Taiwan will not delay the European Union's decision on whether to lift the arms embargo.
"I believe that is an unfounded worry," Li told reporters.
He reiterated China's position on lifting the embargo.
"We only believe the maintenance of such a long obsolete, useless and detrimental arms embargo against China is a jarring note in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU," Li said.
"To put it in a more simple way, what we are opposed to is political discrimination."

03/06/2005 03:42 GMT