§ Lord Davies of Oldhamasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, apart from the overall criteria governing arms exports announced on 28 July 1997, any other restrictions apply with respect to sales to China. [HL2107]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The EU introduced a ban on arms sales to China on 26 June 1989, but the scope of that ban has, in the absence of agreement on a common interpretation, been left for national interpretation. The UK interprets this ban to include:
- lethal weapons such as machine guns, large calibre weapons, bombs, torpedoes, rockets and missiles; specially designed components of the above, and ammunition;
- military aircraft and helicopters, vessels of war, armoured fighting vehicles and other such weapons platforms;
- any equipment which might be used for internal repression.
All applications are considered case by case in the light of these criteria as well as the overall criteria governing defence exports announced on 28 July 1997 by the Foreign Secretary. (Official Report, Commons, cols. 26–29)