US embassy cable - 05MADRID987

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CM, SP, EUN 
SUBJECT: CHINA ARMS EMBARGO:  SPANISH POSITION UNCHANGED 
 
REF: STATE 44309 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Ricardo Zuniga for Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Poloff met with Enrique Mora Benavente, the Head of 
EU Policy Planning at the MFA, on March 10 and March 14 to 
discuss the China arms embargo, reiterating U.S. concerns 
over human rights violations, the possible transfer of U.S. 
military technology to China, and the shifting balance of 
power in the Taiwan Straits.  Mora Benavente said the EU 
Foreign Ministers would not address China at the March 16-17 
GAERC meetings.  He said that the EU was concerned about the 
situation in the Taiwan Straits and hoped that any problems 
could be resolved peacefully.  He referred Poloff to a March 
14 EU statement that confirms the EU's commitment to a "One 
China" policy and urges all parties "to avoid any unilateral 
action which might revive tensions." 
 
2.  (C)  Spain's position regarding lifting the China arms 
embargo remains unchanged.  Spain supports an enhanced code 
of conduct coupled with a new "toolbox" of measures to 
exchange information on weapons sales and help regulate 
European arms sales to China.  Mora Benavente said that with 
the code of conduct and the toolbox arms controls on China 
would remain as tight as under the embargo.  He hoped that 
the current trip to the U.S., Japan, and Australia of a 
delegation led by Annalisa Gianella, High Representative 
Solana's Special Representative for Nonproliferation Issues, 
would help explain the European position regarding the China 
arms embargo 
MANZANARES