Think Islamist barbarians with nuclear weapons pose the only existential threat to Western civilization? Think again.
Last week Charles Krauthammer opined on the danger of a European surrender to al Qaeda, and now the Heritage Foundation warns of more European Union treachery against the US, but this time in alliance with a different enemy:
Washington Must Head Off European Arms Sales to ChinaRecent moves to lift the European Union (EU) embargo on arms sales to China have caused consternation on both sides of the Atlantic, and Washington should be more concerned about it than it appears to be. Under pressure from France and Germany, EU leaders will likely lift the arms embargo at the March 25-26 summit in Brussels, although some EU member nations have expressed concerns over human rights in China and China's policy toward Taiwan.
The EU members need to ask two questions: Which country is the most likely adversary against which China would employ advanced European military systems, and have the conditions that justified imposing the EU ban changed significantly?
. . . Press commentary in Europe charged that President Chirac's drive to ease sanctions was motivated not only by the prospect of commercial sales, but also by Chirac's hope of drawing China into strategic multipolar alliance with the EU to counter American hegemony.
. . . China is most likely to use advanced weaponry from European defense firms against the United States. (China's existing arsenal is already sufficient to take on Taiwan and more than enough to meet any other security threat on its borders.) China's acquisition of European arms, therefore, should be a matter of the gravest national concern in Washington.
China's $65 billion defense budget is the second largest in the world after the U.S., and China is aggressively modernizing its military to increase combat capability. It seeks to acquire the most modern military technology available, including French Mirage fighter jets and German stealth submarines.
The author recommends the Administration take the following steps to protest the impending European action:
Reminding the EU why the embargo exists,Pointing out that lifting the embargo could threaten U.S. forces and could be interpreted as an unfriendly act, and
Excluding from defense technology cooperation those companies that sell arms to China.
Use our Take Action page to urge the President and congress to do so.
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