The European Union is maintaining its push to lift its arms embargo on China, but cannot guarantee that it will make a decision on schedule in the first half of this year, Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, said on Thursday.

Mr Solana's comments come in the wake of a new Chinese “anti-secession” law that is widely seen as stepping up Beijing's military threat to Taiwan. This week a EU delegation to Washington also heard a wide range of concerns about the embargo from US officials.