French President Jacques Chirac has called for an end to a European ban on arms sales to China, but said he would consider U.S. concerns that the deal not tip the balance of power in the region.

Mr. Chirac said the ban is "no longer justified." He spoke after President Bush said there is "deep concern" in the United States about lifting the embargo.

The United States and the European Union imposed a joint arms embargo against China after the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.

Last week, the chief of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Porter Goss, said China's military build-up is tilting the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and is threatening U.S. forces in the region.