MPs have warned the European Union against selling arms to China unless "absolute assurances" are given on controls.

The move comes amid an escalating row over the EU's plan to lift its embargo on sales on Beijing.

With the Chinese government having passed a new law permitting an attack on Taiwan, the US has become increasingly concerned at the prospect of sales going ahead, while some EU members are understood to be having second thoughts.

Britain is thought to be backing a delay before any final decision is made.

And in a report released on Thursday, the Commons quadripartite committee on strategic export controls - made up of members of the defence, foreign affairs, international development and trade committees - also cautioned against a change in policy.

Guarantees

The MPs concluded that there must be cast iron guarantees that there would be no "qualitative or quantitative" increase in exports to China if the embargo were to be lifted.

Otherwise the UK government should oppose the move, they argued.

"There are very real risks involved in the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China, which must be mitigated effectively," committee chairman Roger Berry said.

"Members of the defence and foreign affairs committees who recently visited Washington heard at first hand the sense of shock there about the course of action the EU is proposing to take.

"The recent anti-secession law passed by the Chinese parliament, which authorises the use of military force against Taiwan in certain circumstances, will heighten this concern."

'Good sense'

Questioned on the subject in the Commons earlier this week, deputy prime minister John Prescott acknowledged the "concerns" - but predicted that "the good sense in Europe will be that they will come to some agreement on this matter and lift that embargo".

But Oxfam's head of the Control Arms campaign Simon Gray said the "report hits the nail on the head".

"The arms trade claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year yet deadly loopholes remain even in British arms laws," he said.

"[Foreign secretary] Jack Straw has now backed the international arms trade treaty, an excellent step, but he also has a duty to get his own house in order.

"An increase in the non-transparent 'open' licences and moves to privatise arms sales licensing are both dangerous steps in the wrong direction. MPs are right to call for urgent action."