Fifteen years have passed since the massacre of pro-democracy advocates in Beijing. That same year, the United States and the European Union placed an embargo on arms trade with China.
As France’s President Chirac becomes increasingly friendly with China’s head of state, Hu Jintao, his visits to China continue to raise concerns and questions about whether Hu and Wen Jiabao can re-evaluate the events of June 4, 1989.
Ding Zilin, a former professor at China’s Renmin University, is founder and president of the group known as the Tiananmen Mother Movement. Her son was killed by the Chinese army at the June 4 Tiananmen incident.
According to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, lifting the arms embargo would heal some of the wounds of the June 4 massacre. At their joint press conference, a reporter raised this question – but Hu refused to redefine the nature of June 4, 1989, gravely disappointing some observers.
The Chinese media reports that the relationship between China and France has been steadily improving since large-scale activities between the two countries during last October’s “cultural year,” and has reached a historical peak, even resulting in rumors about a proposal for an economic union.
Some American scholars are wary of the uncommonly close relationship between China and France. In response, Chinese media comments that, “the American scholars have the wrong interpretation. They have thought that China and France are establishing ‘the anti-America union,’ and this is obviously the result of extreme suspicions.”
The Singapore-based Zaobao warns that the relationship between Beijing and Paris will never be one of China’s top priorities regardless of how close the two countries appear to be, and their relationship will never surpass that of Beijing and Washington. The newspaper also expressed that while good cooperation between China and France may be feasible, a more formal union would be impossible.
Following the Fifth Asia-Europe Summit Meeting in Vietnam, Chirac traveled north to visit China. In Paris, Hanoi and Beijing, he consistently called for the weapons-selling ban imposed on China since the Tiananmen Massacre to be lifted. Chinese media reported that after visiting China, Chirac proposed to the same to the European Union.
The Chinese media gave wide coverage to Chirac’s position in lifting the weapons ban during a joint press conference between Chirac and Hu. In the conference, Chirac criticized the EU’s weapon-selling ban for its “lack of reason or foundation,” for being “simply hostile towards China,” and for being “out of date.”
In an open letter to President Chirac, mother of a Tiananmen massacre victim Ms. Zilin criticized his plan to urge the European Union to lift the weapons embargo on China.
According to the Hong Kong media, the letter stated that, “I and many other families of those killed on June 4 all oppose your suggestion. Fifteen years have passed since the Tiananmen massacre, during which time we have not seen any change in the totalitarian autocratic system by the Chinese Communist Party; moreover, the human rights situation in China continues to deteriorate. So far, the families of those killed on June 4 are still an underground group. They were not even given the right to mourn their murdered family members. This regime constantly cracks down on the disadvantaged groups of peasants and workers who appeal for their basic rights; brutally tortures Falun Gong practitioners; squashes the family churches of Catholics and Christians and condemns dissident and Internet writers to heavy criminal sentences.”
Other countries are also questioning Beijing’s motivation in buying advanced weapons. In an Oct. 8 editorial, Britain’s Financial Times reminded Chirac and his European partners to make note of the Chinese human rights record. The editorial says that the Chinese regime would use weapons from the European Union to crack down on dissidents, promote its sovereignty in the South China Sea and assault Taiwanese and U.S. troops who reinforce Taiwan.
Democracy organizations make a statement
Several overseas democracy organizations, including the Chinese Democracy Coalition, China Democracy Alliance, and the Party for Freedom and Democracy in China, also stated that they were angered by Chirac’s speech in recent statements.
They said, “As reported, French President Chirac states that the Tiananmen massacre belongs to another age to support his proposal to lift the European Union’s arms embargo on China. We are angry with this. If Nazi Germany’s invasion of France is of another age, does it mean Germany does not have to apologize? If the invasion of Normandy is also of another age, why should we have a ceremonious memorial for it?”
Overseas China observers weigh in
Chen Jinsong, an overseas observer on China issues, added his voice to the chorus by publishing an article to rebut Chirac’s allegation that the so-called sanction and arms ban offends a country the size of China. Chen says that in fact, the only one offended by the European Union arms embargo is Beijing’s dictator. He says that lifting the ban will truly offend China, because the Chinese people are the main body of China, and offending the Chinese people is equal to offending China.
Political profit
Economically speaking, Chirac’s visit was largely a success. According to Chinese media reports, his visit resulted in the signing of purchasing with China for contracts of up to US$4 billion.
The contracts include French sales of 26 Airbus airplanes for US$2.4 billion, train engines for US$1.23 billion, imported French wheat for US$150 million, and cooperation between China and France to construct 200 gas stations in Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, Hebei and other areas. China also contracted the construction of a high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai worth 12 billion Euros with France, leaving the European country’s eye on a contract up for grabs for a project to construct a nuclear plant worth US$8 billion.
The average Chinese person’s access to this news comes only from official Chinese media sources, leaving overseas observers to ask sharp questions about these contracts — such as whether they have gone through public hearings of the related departments in China; are they harmful to the national interests of China; is purchasing similar products in another country more economical; and is it more economical for Chinese people to construct or invite international public bidding for the lowest bid for similar projects.
A French company has already sold the Chinese government an antenna system for interfering with international radios, which will be installed in a dozen regions in China such as Hainan Island, Nanjing and Wulumuqi. The range of interference on the system includes Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Voice of Tibet, BBC and other famous radio stations. Such a transaction will have a direct impact on the media and the information rights of 1.3 billion Chinese people.
On Oct. 11, foreign ministers of the member countries of the European Union once again discussed the issue of selling arms to China in Luxembourg. However, when the European Union expanded to include Eastern Europe on May 1, 2004, it added 10 countries from the former Soviet Union and the Eastern European Union.
Before taking any major diplomatic action, the European Union must be in unanimous agreement, and media comments on China say that the newly added 10 small EU countries from central and eastern Europe are following the United States in its objections to recognize the 15 year-long arms embargo. Thus, adding 10 more countries to the European Union has increased the difficulties of lifting the arms ban on China. Instead, there is a possibility that the 10 newest countries will oppose the arms ban.
In a telephone interview with Hai Yan, a VOA reporter in Hong Kong, Ms. Zilin said, “every country has its own political interests and economic interests. However, I couldn’t believe President Chirac would say these things. This was my original intention in writing my open letter.”
