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Europe’s willingness to take directions from other world powers is “pitiful” and “pathetic” China’s top man in Brussels has said.
The remarks by Chinese ambassador Song Zhe come as a leaked US diplomatic cable revealed that Washington quickly swung into action earlier this year when the Spanish EU presidency suggested the Union should lift its arms embargo with China.
“This is an action request for all [US] Embassies in EU countries to reiterate our position that the EU should retain its arms embargo on China,” said the cable, dated 17 February 2010 and signed “Clinton” referring to secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
In a cable from two weeks earlier, an EU official said that an end to the bloc’s arms embargo would be beneficial for Sino-EU relations but that it is unlikely to come about because of the negative “consequences” that would flow from Washington.
“The EU and China are now strategic partners and it doesn’t make any sense to maintain the embargo … I also think it is pitiful and pathetic that Europe can’t make decisions on its own, without being influenced by other powers,” China’s Mr Song told a small group of journalists in Brussels on Wednesday (15 December). He added that the bloc’s subservience leads many to believe that it is weak.
The senior diplomat, who has lived in the EU capital for three years, was speaking generally and did not wish to be drawn on the leaked cables.
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