Foreign minister dismisses reports that China vetoed Security Council resolution on Sudan
December 20, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq confirmed that China did not veto any Security Council decision supporting the Political Framework Agreement signed by political forces with army leaders.
On December 5, over fifty political parties and civil society groups and the military component signed the framework agreement, the first stage of a process aiming to end the October 25 coup and restore a transitional civilian government.
During the past two days, there were reports and posts on special media claiming that China refused to pass a resolution in the Security Council supporting the political framework agreement to solve the 14-month crisis in Sudan.
Reached by Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Minister al-Sadiq dismissed the false report.
“The Security Council did not hold a vote to approve the agreement,” he said.
“This is nonsense and it did not happen,” he stressed.
Some groups under the umbrella of the “Democratic Bloc”, Resistance Committees and Islamists in Sudan are opposed to the agreement.
Professor of International Relations at the University of Khartoum, Tamader al-Tayeb told Sudan Tribune that it is premature to talk about a resolution by the Security Council on the political framework agreement because it is the first step of a process that is still taking place.
She noted that if Beijing took such a position it should be seen within the international competition with the United States of America but it would contradict one of the main principles of Chinese diplomacy: The principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
On December 9, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting with the head of the military-led Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
“China supports all parties in Sudan in continuing to push for steady political transition through dialogue and consultation, opposes interference by external forces in Sudan’s internal affairs, and will continue to speak up for Sudanese friends on the international stage,” read a statement issued the official news agency Xinhua.
After long years of debate over abandoning the diplomatic stance of ‘non-interference’, the Chinese foreign policy seems to opt for more flexibility while maintaining the principle.
Such a position would allow China, which aspires to play a leading role in the international arena, to have a voice in important international issues and be able to manage its relations with the Western-led international community.
(ST)