The United States appealed to the European Union on Thursday not to scrap its 15-year-old arms embargo on China, arguing such a move could endanger American troops in the Asia-Pacific region.
France is leading a drive to end the ban, imposed in response to the Chinese army's killings of demonstrators in Beijing in 1989, arguing it obstructs European efforts to improve ties with China. Beijing is expected to lobby on the issue at an Asia-Europe summit starting Friday.
US officials say that ending the ban would not only raise concerns over human rights in China and stability in the region but pose a security threat if Beijing gained more advanced arms.
"We have a real national security concern too," Gregory Suchan, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, said in a telephone interview.
"If China were to get increased access to Western defence technology through Europe, it would significantly increase the threat to US forces in the Pacific," he cautioned.
The United States currently has some 97,000 troops stationed in the Asia-Pacific region.
China is expected to argue for an end to the ban at an enlarged Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi starting on Friday.
Taiwan has appealed to the EU to keep the arms embargo, saying lifting it would encourage Beijing to use force against the self-ruled island. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also oppose such a move.
Supporters of ending the arms embargo say the step could open up lucrative trade opportunities for European business with the world's fastest-growing major economy.
France and other backers of a "multi-polar" world say nurturing ties between Europe and emerging powers such as China and India could help balance the influence of the United States.
The embargo is due to be discussed by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. Diplomats say no decision is expected, with a number of EU states reluctant to end the ban.
But France is confident it can win support for its case over time. It argues that exports to China would still be limited by an existing EU code of conduct barring the sale of equipment that could be used in domestic repression or regional conflicts.
"In practice, scrapping of the embargo would not have any impact," said a French diplomat in Brussels. He added it was anachronistic for China to be the subject of an EU arms embargo alongside other states such as Liberia or Sierra Leone.
Washington is unconvinced, arguing the code of conduct is open to interpretation and would not prevent arms exports.
"We don't think it equates to the kind of restraint that an arms embargo imposes on folks," said Suchan.