MULTIPOLARITY IF NECESSARY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY MULTIPOLARITY

EU delays push to lift arms ban on China (Steven Weisman, International Herald Tribune, March 23rd, 2005)

Yielding to pressure from President George W. Bush and threats of retaliation from Congress, the European Union has put off plans to lift its arms embargo on China this spring and may not press the issue until next year, U.S. and European officials said.

The officials said Monday that, in addition to U.S. pressure, European nations had been shaken by the recent adoption of legislation by the Chinese National People's Congress authorizing the use of force to stop Taiwan from seceding. The Chinese action, they said, jolted France and undercut its efforts to end the embargo before June.

"Europe wants to move forward on the embargo, but the recent actions by China have made things a lot more complex," a senior European official said. "The timeline has become more difficult. The timeline is going to have to slip."