Italy for end to China arms embargo

(ANSA) - Beijing, September 18 - Italy will work for a swift end to the European Union arms embargo against China, visiting Italian Premier Romano Prodi said here on Monday .

The arms embargo was imposed following the violent 1989 crackdown on a pro-democracy protest in Beijing's central Tiennamen Square .

"Our position is not new because for years we have considered the embargo something which had more to do with the past than with the future," Prodi said .

Lifting the embargo, he observed, "will not change the situation radically because China has become self-sufficient, if not more, in regards to arms" .

"The Chinese view the embargo to be highly discriminatory and many EU members would also like to see it reviewed," Prodi added .

The EU is currently split on lifting the embargo. The Italian leader made his remarks at a press conference following talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Head of State Hu Jintao. The talks came at the end of his six-day mission to China and Prodi said human, civil and religious rights were discussed with the Chinese leaders .

"Dialogue remains the best way to work towards greater respect for freedom of thought, religion and information," the Italian premier said. Monday's talks allowed Prodi and the Chinese leaders to map out the guidelines for future bilateral cooperation in four basic areas: business-trade, culture, health and the environment .

Ample attention was also paid in Monday's talks to relations between China and the EU, UN security Council reform and China's decision to deploy troops in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the command of which Italy is set to take over next year .

Speaking at the press conference, Prodi said his mission to China had without a doubt been a success and marked the start of a new era in economic and political relations between Italy and China .

During a reception at the Italian embassy Sunday night, the premier recalled, "businessman kept coming up to say to me that Rome was finally working in Italy's interests here. This was the best compliment we could receive" .

Prodi came to China leading a large political-economic delegation with the intention of jump starting ties with the Asian giant .

The Italian delegation included four ministers, a junior minister and three undersecretaries as well as representatives from 12 of Italy's 20 regions, the industrial employers' association Confindustria, the Foreign Trade Institute (ICE) and the Italian Banking Association (ABI). Some 500 Italian businessmen were included in the Confindustria, ICE and ABI delegations .

Scores of agreements were and contracts signed during the mission in all fields and an accord was also struck to allow Italians to adopt Chinese children. Prodi now heads to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly .

Yes, there's money to be made boys, and we all know
are cheese eating surrendur monkey Euro friends
are all about making money from despots and dictators.

They cry and whine about human rights when we attack Iraq, but its mainly because we disrupted their lucrative trade with Saddam.

gutless bastards.

2 posted on 09/20/2006 8:16:37 PM PDT by ottersnot (National Security will be a losing issue for Dems until they honestly address the issue)

The Prodi government if partly communist. Its narrow win in the last Italian elections was a tragedy.

Prodi argues that the arms embargo means nothing now, because the Chinese have become self-sufficient anyway.

Now wait: if they are self-sufficient, what will they want to buy from Italy?

The real reason Prodi wants to lift the embargo is to gain favor with China (he's a suck-up), and he a crypto-commie anyway.

Is it just my imagination, or do Chinese military dress uniforms look extremely gay?

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