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The Failure of Lifting the EU Arms Embargo against China : The Analysis among Interests, Values and Symbolism

Ning, Qin (2009) The Failure of Lifting the EU Arms Embargo against China : The Analysis among Interests, Values and Symbolism.

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Abstract:The 1989 EU1 arms embargo against China remains as the primary political obstacle to the Sino-EU relations. The debate about lifting such arms embargo from 2004 has finally caused the diplomatic crisis that the drastic bargaining was occurred among different actors including the EU member states, the EU institutions and the US. Nevertheless, the EU arms embargo is entirely based on the 1989 Madrid European Council Declaration, which is not legally binding for EU member states, the new member states in particular. Moreover, this European Council Declaration is neither the principle nor the only policy towards the EU arms export control concerning China. Even so, why do some actors demand to remove the arms embargo intensively, while others insist to keep it desperately? This thesis raises two hypotheses to answer the research question. The first hypothesis is that, under the existing decision making procedure and requirements, the internal diversity on national preferences towards foreign policy issues tend to be intensified. The second hypothesis is that the unexpected and negative interpretation of the symbolic gesture between the EU and China - lifting the EU arms embargo on China - promotes actors to take the perception of being threatened.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:89 political science
Programme:European Studies MSc (69303)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/60352
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