French PM in China to sell Airbus,Wants Arms Ban Lifted

[Bluezoo]

French PM in China to sell Airbus, reaffirm Paris wants arms ban lifted

BEIJING (AFP) - French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit aimed at selling Airbus to China while reaffirming Paris's commitment to lifting the EU arms embargo.

The visit is primarily aimed at boosting political and economic relations and Raffarin will hold talks with Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and sign a series of bilateral accords, French officials said.

Relations between China and the European Union will also be on the agenda, including the 16-year-old arms embargo, with Raffarin expected to tell Wen France still wants to see it removed by the end of June.

The timing of its lifting is in doubt because of current difficulties in Beijing's relations with Taiwan and Japan, although EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said this week the bloc remains committed to its removal.

Last December EU heads of government authorised the government of Luxembourg -- which holds the bloc's rotating presidency -- to finalise terms for removing the sanctions in the first half of 2005.

Before departing for Beijing, Raffarin also made clear that he was here "to sell Airbus in China".

"I'm going to sell Airbus with the backing of the Germans. We are working together for Europe," Raffarin told private French radio RTL.

China is expected to become the second-biggest aviation market, after the United States, over the next 20 years, with an estimated 2,800 aircraft.


Air China said in February it was negotiating the lease of two A380 superjumbo airliners to serve the Beijing Olympics.


In January, China Southern Airlines confirmed an order for five Airbus A380s, making it the first Chinese carrier to purchase the A380 aircraft.


Airbus is owned 80 percent by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and 20 percent by British group BAE Systems.

Raffarin is accompanied by five ministers and secretaries of state including Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau....

For the full article, please go to:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1530&ncid=731&e=2&u=/afp/20050421/wl_asia_afp/chinafrance

[BigBaribal]

While US Army is thinking of buying Chinese AK for the Iraki army:


Chinese arms for Iraq?
The U.S. Army is considering buying a large number of AK-47 assault rifles and other small arms from, of all places, China. The guns would be used to equip the new Iraqi army, we are told.
The planned arms purchase is meeting some resistance within the Pentagon from officials who say Beijing should not be rewarded with an arms contract. China opposed the liberation of Iraq, and tried to arm Saddam Hussein's regime. .......

http://washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm


:roll:

[sp2c]

THE WORLD HAS GONE INSANE!!!!

[Jin]

this would be pretty funny if China is making the Iraqi uniforms as well!!

[Bluezoo]

France backs China anti-secession law, vows to push for end to arms embargo:

[Asia News] BEIJING : France threw its support Thursday behind a law that allows China to attack Taiwan while vowing to keep pushing for an end to an EU arms embargo that could open the door for Paris to sell Beijing weapons.

On a three-day visit to China, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said Paris had no objections to the anti-secession law, appearing to put it at odds with the European Union.

"The anti-secession law is completely compatible with the position of France," he said in a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.



At the same time, he vowed that his government would continue to push for the lifting of what he called the "anachronistic" and "discriminatory" arms embargo against China.

The two issues are closely linked, with one of the main concerns of the 25-member EU bloc as it mulls when to remove the embargo being China's sabre-rattling stance on Taiwan.

The EU has made clear it is opposed to any use of force between China and Taiwan and has warned against "any unilateral action".



The timing of the ban's lifting is in doubt because of current difficulties in Beijing's relations with not just Taiwan but also Japan, which has been the target of widespread recent protests in China over its wartime past.

The United States has warned that removing the embargo would upset the balance of power in the region.

"France continues to require the lifting of the embargo and does not see what could lead the European Council to change its position on the subject," he said.

He earlier told the Xinhua news agency China was becoming a "responsible, great nation" and the arms ban in place since the crushing of democracy campaigners in 1989 was outdated.



"This measure is anachronistic, wrongfully discriminatory and in complete contradiction of the current state of the strategic partnership between Europe and China," he said, according to a transcript seen by AFP.

"France believes that the transition in progress will leave China even stronger and responsible, a great nation respected and at peace with its neighbors, a new focus of stability on the international scene," he said.

Last December EU heads of government authorised the government of Luxembourg -- which holds the bloc's rotating presidency -- to finalise terms for removing the sanctions in the first half of 2005.

China already has at least 700 missiles aimed at Taiwan and Taipei has slammed the anti-secession law as tantamount to issuing the Chinese military a blank check to invade the island, leaving people in constant fear of war......

continued at http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=186933

[thibaud]

hi,bluezoo

i was waiting for you about iter.did you surrender?i'm sure you allways wear a white shirt!!! :D

[Bluezoo]

hi,bluezoo

i was waiting for you about iter.did you surrender?i'm sure you allways wear a white shirt!!! :D

Check your history, dude. Can you handle the truth. If you would like, I would be more than happy to supply you a daily dose of surrender jokes everyday. rofl

On ITER, it is obvious that you will never change your position as I would not change mine. You waste my time. The questions posed by the Japanese minister were cogent enough and clear, and yet France has not met nor answered these questions clearly. I guess it goes with being skittish hu? :lol:

Whether Japan gets the contract or not, your government has signified its intention that it would build this facility anyway. It is thus pointless to argue when it will be a pyrrhic victory in the end, especially when explaining things to some species which are so proud and closed minded. p-)

[oldsoak]

Whats the US content of Airbus ?

[moughoun]

Whats the US content of Airbus ?
alot, mainly small component's, up to engines

[oldsoak]

So they wont be complaining too hard then ? :)

[Seiyuuki]

Whats the US content of Airbus ?
alot, mainly small component's, up to engines

Heh...the U.S. is playing both sides, companies around the country are making components for both Boeing and Airbus...MUWAHAHAHA ;)