China’s Hu discusses Darfur crisis with Sudanese leader
Nov 2, 2006 (BEIJING) — President Hu Jintao met his counterpart from Sudan, a major oil supplier to China, for talks Thursday that touched on the bloody conflict in Darfur.
Sudan’s western province of Darfur has suffered from a three-year-old war that has left 200,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced, and the government of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has been accused of unleashing brutal militiamen known as Janjaweed to quell a tribal rebellion against the government.
“The Darfur issue is now at a critical stage. China fully understands the concerns of Sudan and hopes Sudan can strengthen the dialogue with all parties,” Hu said on state-run Central Television news.
Bashir is in Beijing for a landmark summit of 48 African leaders and Beijing meant to highlight China’s growing role in Africa. China will announce a package of major assistance, investment, trade and other projects with Africa during the weekend summit, the official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday, citing Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday that China should use its growing economic influence in Africa to press countries such as Sudan and Zimbabwe to improve human rights.
“China insists that it will not ‘interfere’ in other countries’ domestic affairs, but it also claims to be a great friend of the African people and a responsible major power,” said Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch.
“But that doesn’t square with staying silent while mass killings go on in Darfur,” Richardson said in the statement.
The group said China’s policies have supported African governments responsible for some of the worst human rights violations on the continent.
Earlier Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao defended Beijing’s assistance to Africa, saying it brought mutual benefits.
“As to the cooperation between China and Africa, that is for the well-being of the peoples of both sides,” Liu told a regular news conference. “We never try to impose our social systems and values and ideologies on other countries. We believe that other countries have the wisdom and the right to decide their own way of development.”
Liu also said China believed the United Nations should play a role in helping to ease fighting in Darfur, but added the international community should be mindful of the Sudanese government’s concerns.
“The United Nations should and can play an active role in the settlement of this issue, but in the meantime we believe that on the specific measures, the international community needs to respect and get the consent of the Sudanese government,” Liu said.
The U.N. has authorized 20,000 troops to replace an under-equipped force of 7,000 African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, but the Sudanese government has rejected the U.N. force and last month expelled the U.N.’s Sudan envoy.
Critics have said China’s arms exports to Darfur have helped fuel the conflict. Beijing has defended its expanding relations with Sudan as “mutually beneficial,” and that its dealings with the African nation have helped to improve that country’s human rights record.
(AP)