EADS Wants Accord on China Arms Ban

The chairman of the European aerospace giant EADS on Friday called on the European Union to reach agreement with the United States over lifting an EU arms embargo on China. Manfred Bischoff said the dispute over the issue risked having a negative impact on EADS' dealings with the United States, which are far greater than its business in China. "We are particularly keen that a solution can be found in agreement with Europe and the United States," Bischoff said in an interview with the German TV station XXP to be broadcast on Monday. Luxembourg, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said this week that EU states were unlikely to reach agreement on lifting the embargo by the end of June as previously thought. France and Germany have led moves to have the weapons sales ban lifted, arguing that it is outdated. But the United States is steadfastly opposed to lifting the embargo that the EU slapped on China after the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.