Wen Chides Europe on Arms Sale Embargo Virginia Mayo/Associated Press Premier Wen Jiabao spoke at a summit of European Union and Chinese leaders in Brussels on Thursday. BRUSSELS - Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said on Thursday that China would continue to help the European Union recover from its economic crisis even as he sternly criticized the bloc for maintaining an embargo on weapons sales to his country. The Union is the biggest buyer of Chinese exports and China is the second most important trading partner for the Union, after the United States, making the relationship crucial to growth and jobs for both. Yet there are serious irritants for Beijing, including the E.U. ban on arms exports to China, in place since the 1989 crackdown on protesters around Tiananmen Square, and the reluctance of Europe to classify China as a modern, open economy, which would clear the way for advantages on tariffs. "I have to be very frank in saying this," Mr. Wen told Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission. On "the two issues of lifting the arms embargo against China and recognizing China's full market economy status, we have been working hard for 10 years. But the solution has been elusive. "I deeply regret this," Mr. Wen said, shortly before a live television transmission from the meeting was cut off. I hope, and I do believe that the E.U. side will seize the opportunity and take greater initiative at an early stage. The Union considered easing the arms ban in 2005, but the United States steadfastly objected and some of Union's member states raised objections because of concerns about violations of human rights in China. Without market economy status, a nation usually faces higher tariffs in trade disputes with the Union, but China has fulfilled only one of the five requirements required to win such status, the European Commission said. China still needs to show less government influence over its businesses, including those in the financial sector, and to adopt transparent laws on corporate governance, property and bankruptcy to be eligible for market economy status, the commission said. Europe and China are also embroiled in trade disputes over solar panels and rare earth metals. Striking a softer tone, Mr. Wen said China would continue to support the E.U. economy. "In recent months, China has been continuing to invest in the euro zone government bonds and bonds issued by the European Financial Stability Facility," said Mr. Wen, referring to a temporary fund for euro countries that has already been used to assist Greece, Ireland and Portugal. "Europe is one of the main markets for China to invest its foreign exchange reserves and China will continue to participate in efforts to tackle Europe's debt crisis through appropriate channels," Mr. Wen said. The European Council, the body headed by Mr. Van Rompuy, did not hold a customary news conference after the meeting because the European authorities and their Chinese counterparts were unable to agree on a format after journalists expressed concerns that the Chinese authorities planned to exclude members of the media they dislike. In a statement, Mr. Van Rompuy and Mr. Barroso sought to underline the growing interdependence of the Chinese and European economies. The European leaders also urged China to use its influence to end "a terrible humanitarian tragedy" in Syria. "We have asked China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, to redouble its efforts to ensure the United Nations Security Council can contribute effectively to the solution of the Syrian crisis," they said. China, along with Russia, has vetoed proposed U.N. resolutions intended to put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to end a crackdown on the Syrian opposition.