"Of course during these meetings and talks, the two sides will also touch on some problems, including the early lifting of the ban," foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.

"This is high time for the final resolution of this question."

But she said Beijing should not be expected to prove its human rights record had improved or to make any concessions.

"This is a very solemn, serious political issue. We think it's for the EU to make an early and appropriate decision. ... It's not for the Chinese side to make any concessions," she said.

Schroeder will make a five-day visit to China and then Japan on December 5-10, his office announced Monday. In China, he will meet with President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Following Schroeder's visit, Wen will travel to the Netherlands to hold an annual China-EU meeting on December 8.

The EU embargo was imposed on China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, but some EU states -- notably France and Germany -- argue that it is outdated.

China, unable to purchase advanced weapons from the United States, wants to buy them from Europe and countries such as France and Germany are believed to want to cash in on such trade. The Chinese government spends heavily on military hardware.

European countries are also eager to boost trade ties with China, the largest market in the world. Germany also wants Beijing's support in its hopes of gaining a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Several EU countries, however, cited China's poor human rights record as a concern. The European Parliament voted last month to maintain an EU arms sales embargo against China until it improves its human rights record.

Zhang argued Thursday that China and the EU have had "fruitful and effective" dialogue on human rights.

It was "natural" for the two sides to have differences on human rights but those differences could be resolved through dialogue instead, she said.

The ban was "incompatible with the reality of our strategic partnership" and resolving the issue will benefit the development of China-EU relations, she said.

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