Values and Policy Coordination in the EU Discussion on the Lifting of the EU Arms Embargo on China, 2003-2005

The EU presents itself as an actor with international responsibilities whose foreign policy actions are based on a normative foundation. Notwithstanding this, in the discussion on the lifting of the arms embargo on China, the organization has been severely accused of sacrificing its principal values for economic gains. Does this mean that the EU's self-representation constitutes nothing else than an empty speech with no real consequences for its behavior?
This article argues that the EU's self-representation as a normative actor has decisively affected its decision-making in the debate on its arms embargo on China. The set of overarching values had stabilizing consequences for the coordination of EU policies, despite the divergent 'national backgrounds' and strong Chinese pressure. All the member states have subscribed to a set of European norms and values, which affirms a specific European identity but also helps them to produce common decisions.