China - arms and the EU

Chinese government sources have welcomed the UK's recent declarations of support for lifting the blanket embargo on arms from the EU. Is this a re-run of yesterdays story on ethical foreign policies ? British trade with China has doubled in the last five years, notes the Chinese media, so perhaps the lure of profit overrides other considerations more from the People's Daily... A deal has been signed to promote other forms of trade (e.g. tourism) and Jack Straw has said he expects there to be no increase in arms sales after lifting the embargo - not a view shared by the US and Japan more from the BBC... Previous analysis in the Chinese media predicted a lifting of the embargo but no actual arms trading because of pressure from the US and from the EU Parliament, most of whose members were ill-informed as they had not visited the 'new' China still more from the People's Daily