EU Supporting Democracy

The EU often claim to support human rights and democracy, so face with a choice between a small relatively newly democratic nation and a huge totalitarian bully, the choice is obvious right?

French diplomats vowed that President Jacques Chirac, who is keen to build up EU-China ties, is committed to lifting the arms embargo.

Yes that’s right, we vote the way that will fill the pockets of the friend of the French government. But its OK because:

"There is no link between China's wish to push for the EU's lifting of the embargo and the passing of the anti-secession law. Linking these two issues is unreasonable," a foreign ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said.

Well if the Chinese Government says that it must be true right? They have a fine tradition of free press and transparent government. At least Our Dear Leader is having second thoughts:

British second thoughts, were stoked still further by China's passing of an "anti-secession law" last week, authorising military force against Taiwan if it declared formal independence from Beijing.

So maybe he has a conscience after all. But wait a minute:

Mr Blair's spokesman insisted that Britain was not pushing the issue and that the key was forging a European consensus.

So harmony at the cocktail party takes precedence over the right of peaceful self determination of 23 Million Taiwanese. That’s what I call a balanced sense of priorities.