This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T THE HAGUE 000868
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL CH NL EUN
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO DUTCH MFA ON EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO
REF: A. STATE 68263
B. THE HAGUE 787 (NOTAL)
C. THE HAGUE 140 (NOTAL)
...
15650
2004-04-02
04THEHAGUE868
Embassy The Hague
SECRET
04STATE68263
S E C R E T THE HAGUE 000868
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL CH NL EUN
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO DUTCH MFA ON EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO
REF: A. STATE 68263
B. THE HAGUE 787 (NOTAL)
C. THE HAGUE 140 (NOTAL)
D. 03 THE HAGUE 3168 (NOTAL)
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MARY DALY FOR REASONS
1.5 (B AND D)
1. (S) PolMilOff reviewed ref A demarche with Dutch MFA
Director for Arms Export Policy Paul van den IJssel on April
2. Van den IJssel stressed that the Dutch were not among the
leaders of the initiative to lift the EU embargo.
Nevertheless, he saw merit in the PRC argument that China
differs from other countries that the EU maintains arms
embargoes against such as Burma and Sudan, with their human
rights situations, or countries involved in international
terrorism. Van den IJssel said the GONL agreed that China's
human rights performance was far from ideal, and that it
shared U.S. concerns about possible buildup of China's
military posture vis-a-vis Taiwan. He again raised the EU
Code of Conduct (refs B-D) stressing that criteria five of
the Code addressed avoiding arms transfers that might be used
against friendly forces. He said that the Dutch still hope
that a number of EU countries will support closely reviewing
the Code to see how it could be helpful in the China context.
2. (S) Van den IJssel said the GONL faced competing pressures
on this issue including a recent unanimous resolution in the
Dutch parliament against the lifting the embargo. On the
other hand, he claimed the PRC has threatened smaller EU
countries against blocking a consensus to lift. In this
regard, he noted the Dutch experience in the 1980s when the
PRC downgraded relations with the Netherlands following the
Dutch sale of two diesel electric submarines to Taiwan. Van
den IJssel said the Japanese have also demarched the GONL in
opposition to lifting the embargo. He noted that PM
Balkenende and FM Bot will be traveling to China on April
5-7. Their briefing notes reiterate points made by FM Bot to
parliament in which he said that the Netherlands would not be
the only EU country to block consensus on this issue.
(S) Comment: Van den IJssel stressed that the Dutch were in
no hurry to see the embargo lifted. While he made clear the
GONL will not oppose a lift by itself, he expressed hope that
other countries in the EU might be inclined to go slow on the
issue. End Comment.
SOBEL