US official blasts China special envoy to Sudan
January 18, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — A senior US official lashed out at the Chinese special envoy to Sudan Liu Guijin calling him “difficult” during his engagement in political efforts to resolve the five years Darfur conflict.
“Beijing showed no interest in such a mechanism” the US official said but did not say what reasons were given by the Chinese.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, buys two-thirds of Sudan’s oil exports and sells the African country weapons and military aircraft. China’s leadership has been criticized for not using its influence to do more to stop the Darfur crisis and preventing tougher action by the UN against Khartoum.
In response to mounting criticisms China appointed Guijin as its envoy to Sudan in May 2007 and affirmed at the time that it is willing to work with the US and international community on the Darfur conflict.
But the US special envoy gave a poor rating to Guijin and urged the next administration to bypass him.
“Their [Chinese] special envoy to Darfur is a particularly difficult and unhelpful interlocutor. But going over his disagreeable head directly to Beijing by a senior member of the new Obama Administration might yield a more favorable return” Williamson said.
Williamson further said that the Chinese government is looking after its interests in Sudan rather than the regime in itself.
“China cares little about the Sudan regime one way or the other. Beijing wants to be with the winner” he said.
“If the 2011 referendum takes place, a lot of the oil is in the South. This past fall, a number of Chinese oil workers near the North-South divide were kidnapped, and some were killed. Perhaps China is ready to recalibrate their own interests in Sudan” the US special envoy added.
Williamson also called on the Obama administration to make the issue of Sudan a priority in their discussions with the China.
“While the United States would like China to be more helpful on Sudan, it has never risen to a sufficiently high priority for the Secretary of State or the White House to raise this directly and clearly as an item that affects U.S.-Sino relations” he said.
“I believe that if the new Secretary of State in the Obama Administration were to raise this in her initial exchange of views with Beijing, it could alter this dynamic” Williamson added.
The US special envoy has been far more critical of China since assuming his post in 2008 than his predecessor Andrew Natsios who often argued that the Chinese government is doing ‘behind the scenes’ work to pressure the Sudanese government on making concessions.
Natsios also warned against public criticisms of China saying it was impeding their diplomacy.
“I think they may be the crucial actors. I think there’s been a lot of China-bashing in the west. And I’m not sure, to be very frank with you, right now it’s very helpful” Natsios was cited as saying.
During the Beijing Olympics US president George Bush said he pressed his Chinese counterpart to use their influence with Sudan to help end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
The US has been the only country to label the Darfur conflict genocide and the Bush administration has been under intense domestic pressure to intervene but Bush blocked any military action.
(ST)