Japan and the United States appear to have thwarted a fresh push by China to end the European Union's long-standing embargo on arms sales to the PLA - for now at least.
Speculation had mounted in Europe that an end to the embargo, which dates back to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, was possible early this year following a charm offensive by Beijing and a leaked EU report saying that the issue was a 'major impediment' to ties.
The document from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton also called for the EU to 'design a way forward', saying the lifting of the embargo on all lethal weapons 'could happen very quickly'.
But EU officials and member states said the speculation was premature given fresh signs of internal reluctance - as well as a discreet but forceful lobbying drive by the EU's international partners, Japan and the US.
Japan warned that regional security could be at risk if the ban was ended, despite both France and current EU president Spain pushing publicly for arms sales. Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, said Japan followed the European situation with 'much interest', saying it carried 'important possible implications for Japan and the East Asian security environment'.
'We expect the EU to take a cautious and responsible approach.'