The arms embargo, which critics say is outdated, is expected to be discussed at an EU-China summit in the Netherlands next Wednesday. The EU's Dutch presidency has said it expects to send a "positive" signal to Beijing.

"An end to the embargo cannot be justified without significant improvement of human rights in China," said a statement by the European Coalition Against the Lifting of the EU's Embargo on Weapons Sales to China.

"Any lifting of the arms embargo would potentially lead to European weapons technology being used to suppress peaceful resistance by the people of Tibet, East Turkistan (Uighur Muslims), Inner Mongolia (or) against Taiwan," it said.

In addition European weapons could end up in the hands of the North Korean, Myanmar or Sudanese armies, "who are privileged recipients of Chinese arms," it said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot said last month that the EU is "ready to give a positive signal as far as the lifting of the embargo is concerned," although stressing "there remain a number of concerns."

Europe notably wants more progress by China on human rights, while the EU is still working to tighten up a code of conduct to govern the eventual resumption of arms sales to China.

European countries are eager to boost trade ties with China, the largest market in the world, and some EU states led by France and Germany argue the weapons ban is outdated.

But others say the time is still not right. The European Parliament, in a non-binding vote last month, said the EU should maintain the embargo against China until it improves its human rights record.

The pro-embargo lobby group comprises notably the International Campaign for Tibet and pro-Tibet groups from a dozen EU countries, as well as the International Society for Human Rights and Reporters Sans Frontieres.

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