US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE3168

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 003168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, PARM, CH, TW, NL, EUN 
SUBJECT: DUTCH MFA ON EU'S CHINA ARMS EMBARGO 
 
REF: SECSTATE 346965 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Nathaniel Dean for reasons 1. 
5 (b and d) 
 
(C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Dutch MFA Arms 
Transfer Policy Office Deputy Director Alexander Verbeek and 
Asia Policy Officer Gerbrand Visser on December 23.  Verbeek 
was not surprised by the demarche, acknowledging that the 
embargo would be discussed in the EU's upcoming January 8 
COASI meeting.  That said, he emphasized COASI was a forum 
for "purely technical" discussions, and no decisions would be 
made until the EU FM's GAERC meeting at the end of January. 
Verbeek said the GONL position on the embargo is still being 
formulated, but the Dutch make a clear linkage between the 
embargo and human rights.  He noted that FM Bot had been 
questioned in parliament recently about the Dutch position 
with regard to the German-French embargo initiative. 
According to Verbeek, FM Bot said the embargo should be 
discussed "within an EU context to see if we still need it," 
and if not "we should get something back in return." 
Further, Verbeek noted that a recent parliamentary 
resolution, which underlined MPs' concerns about China's 
human rights situation and its aggressive stance towards 
Taiwan, requested the Dutch government oppose lifting the 
embargo.  This resolution garnered overwhelming support, 
which makes it difficult for FM Bot to support lifting the 
embargo unless there is otherwise unanimous support within 
the EU for such a step.  Verbeek stressed the need for any 
such EU decision to be unanimous, and observed that even if 
the EU voted to lift the embargo, the EU Code of Conduct on 
Weapons Exports and its criteria for regional stability make 
it "in practice impossible" to supply arms to China. 
RUSSEL