Koizumi presses EU over China ban

Mr Koizumi (C) held talks with the heads of Luxembourg and the EU

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has told EU leaders of his concern over the bloc's plans to lift an arms ban on China.

Tokyo's ties with Beijing have deteriorated recently, amid a row over colonial history and Japan's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

The arms embargo was imposed after Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy rallies in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

The US has also warned that lifting the ban would upset Asia's power balance.

On Monday Mr Koizumi held talks with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker. Luxembourg currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency.

"I did in fact express our concern [over lifting the ban]," Mr Koizumi told reporters afterwards.

"The response was that Japan's concern is very well understood on this question of the arms embargo. The EU, while fully understanding the concerns of Japan, would like to deal with the matter so that it does not lead to a problem," he said.

Mr Juncker said he had assued Mr Koizumi that if the embargo were lifted, the EU would not increase arms exports to China in a way that would threaten security in Asia.

In December, EU leaders said they had authorised Luxembourg's government to finalise terms for lifting the embargo by June.

But since Beijing passed a controversial law in March, which authorises the use of force against Taiwan should it move to declare independence, some EU states have voiced concern on the issue.

Mr Koizumi also discussed the row over plans for an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

The EU and Japan are at loggerheads over which country the $13bn (£7bn)-reactor should be built in.

"We agreed that we should engage in efforts so that an earliest possible agreement can be achieved," Mr Koizumi said.

Japan-China tension

Mr Koizumi's visit to Luxembourg comes amid rising tensions between Japan and China.

Tokyo's approval of new text books which Beijing says gloss Japan's wartime past sparked anti-Japan rallies in several Chinese cities last month.

There are fears that tensions could again rise on Wednesday, the anniversary of the 4 May 1919 Chinese student protests against Japanese nationals and interests.

China has blocked several anti-Japanese websites this week, according to activists.