US embassy cable - 05PARIS2316

UNCLAS PARIS 002316 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA; 
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA 
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR 
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; 
ROME/PA; BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - CHINA ARMS EMBARGO 
PARIS - THURSDAY, APRIL 07, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
CHINA ARMS EMBARGO 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
SEVERAL FRONT PAGES DEVOTE THEIR LEAD TO THE DEATH OF MONACO'S 
PRINCE RAINIER, ALONGSIDE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF MOURNERS 
FLOCKING TO ROME TO VIEW THE POPE LYING IN STATE.. MOST 
OUTLETS CARRY PICTURES OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE 
U.S. DELEGATION AT THE VATICAN. 
 
A MAJOR STORY FRONT-PAGED IN THE ECONOMIC PRESS - LES ECHOS, 
LA TRIBUNE - BUT ALSO IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO, IS THE 
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN EUROPE AND CHINA OVER TEXTILE IMPORTS. 
EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARIES NOTE THAT THE PROTOCOL FOR CHINA'S 
MEMBERSHIP TO THE WTO CONTAINS SAFEGUARDS AGAINST "A DISARRAY 
OF THE MARKET" IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR, WITH CHINA HAVING TO 
CONTAIN ITS YEARLY EXPORTS TO 7.5 PERCENT. JEAN-MARC VITTORI 
WRITES IN LES ECHOS: "WASHINGTON IS THINKING ABOUT INVOKING 
THIS SAFEGUARD; BRUSSELS COULD DO THE SAME, AND BEIJING IS 
CONCERNED THAT THEY WILL. THE ONLY EFFECTIVE RESPONSE WOULD BE 
A RESPONSE COMING FROM EUROPE. BUT EVERYONE KNEW THIS WAS 
COMING, POLITICIANS AS WELL AS BUSINESS LEADERS. AFTER ALL, 
THE DECISION TO LIFT THE TEXTILE BARRIERS WAS MADE ELEVEN 
YEARS AGO." 
 
CHINA AND THE ARMS EMBARGO ELICIT AN EDITORIAL COMMENTARY IN 
CATHOLIC LA CROIX, WHERE JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN CONTENDS THAT 
THIS MAY BECOME THE NEXT BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN EUROPE AND 
THE U.S., BUT MAY ALSO DIVIDE EUROPE, LIKE THE WAR IN IRAQ. 
(SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES AN EDITORIAL TO THE 
BOLKENSTEIN DIRECTIVE AND TO THE EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM. 
FOR JEAN-MICHEL THENARD, "EUROPE IS DYING FOR LACK OF DEBATE. 
THE FRENCH ARE GETTING BACK (AT THEIR GOVERNMENT) BECAUSE OF 
TOO MANY DEBATES THAT NEVER TOOK PLACE, SUCH AS THE ONE ON THE 
EU ENLARGEMENT. HAVING BEEN DEPRIVED OF THAT DEBATE, FRENCH 
CITIZENS ARE TAKING THEIR REVENGE BY INCLUDING IN THIS ONE 
ISSUES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CONSTITUTION, SUCH AS 
COMMERCIAL DUMPING FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND RELIGIOUS AND 
CULTURAL DUMPING FROM TURKEY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
CHINA ARMS EMBARGO 
 
"CUMBERSOME CHINA" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (04/07): "LIFTING 
THE CHINA ARMS EMBARGO WAS TO BE THE SYMBOL OF AN AUTONOMOUS 
EUROPE VIS-A-VIS THE U.S. ON THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA. THE 
ISSUE IS TURNING INTO A MAJOR CACOPHONY AND THE RISK IS 
GROWING OF SEEING THE EU DIVIDED, AS WAS THE CASE DURING THE 
SADDEST DAYS OF THE WAR IN IRAQ. EUROPE'S LIFTING OF THE CHINA 
ARMS EMBARGO COULD BECOME THE NEW TRANSATLANTIC BONE OF 
CONTENTION. THE U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE COULD NOT HAVE 
BEEN MORE EXPLICIT WHEN HE WARNED ABOUT POSSIBLE SANCTIONS 
AGAINST EUROPEAN COMPANIES IN THE U.S. DEFENSE MARKET. FOR 
EUROPE'S MOST PRAGMATIC BUSINESSMEN IT IS NOT CERTAIN THAT A 
POLITICAL RAPPROCHEMENT WITH CHINA IS WORTH THE RISK. FRANCE'S 
DIPLOMACY IS PARTICULARLY ANNOYED ABOUT THIS EMERGING NEW 
IMBROGLIO. AFTER HAVING BEEN ABLE TO CONVINCE PRESIDENT BUSH, 
BACK IN FEBRUARY, THAT LIFTING THE EMBARGO WAS INNOCUOUS, 
PRESIDENT CHIRAC IS NOW FACING A NEW AND GROWING COALITION OF 
OPPONENTS, MADE UP OF GREAT BRITAIN, SWEDEN, BELGIUM AND 
ITALY. FOR EUROPE, THE CHOICE LIES BETWEEN IRRITATING 
WASHINGTON AND VEXING BEIJING. AND ETHICS DO NOT PLEAD IN 
FAVOR OF CHINA." LEACH