China Filling Void Left by West in U.N. Peacekeeping

Until recently, China's policy on Africa has been largely defined by its desire to prevent Taiwan from making diplomatic inroads in the region and its pursuit of the continent's supply of oil and raw materials to fuel economic growth. It has been criticized as being insensitive to workers' rights, soft on human rights abusers -- including the government of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe -- and an obstacle to U.N. action in Sudan, where it has blocked U.S. efforts to impose economic sanctions on the regime.

But now China is struggling to burnish its reputation in Africa, signing trade deals worth billions, pledging to double foreign assistance by 2009 and promising to cancel the foreign debt of some of the poorest countries. Last week, Wang played a critical role in persuading the Sudanese government to allow an expanded U.N. presence in the Darfur region, where a government-backed militia has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, according to senior U.S. and U.N. officials.

Andrew Natsios, the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, praised Wang for securing Khartoum's cooperation. "At critical moments, he intervened in a very helpful and useful way," he said.

During a U.N. Security Council mission to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in June, it was Wang who scolded other diplomats for neglecting Somalia and urged them to support the deployment of peacekeepers. It marked a turning point for Beijing, the first time it had taken the lead in the 15-nation council in promoting foreign intervention to resolve a conflict thousands of miles from its own borders.

"I was reluctant to take this role," said Wang, explaining that African governments had been pushing China to raise the issue in the council. "But there was a lack of interest by the other major powers."

The move faced initial opposition from Britain, which feared that the insertion of foreign troops would contribute to the chaos in Somalia. U.S. officials said they are still studying the situation.

"China wants to be seen on the right side of this issue," said Augustine Mahiga, Tanzania's U.N. ambassador.

Princeton N. Lyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria and South Africa, said he suspects that China is seeking diplomatic points by supporting important regional allies such as Ethiopia, which has already sent thousands of troops to Somalia to protect the interim government, according to a recent U.N. report on arms smuggling in Somalia. The report of an influx of arms and troops from Ethiopia and Eritrea, which is supporting Somali Islamists, could reignite all-out war between the East African rivals.

Richard Grenell, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, declined to comment on China's role in Somalia but noted that Beijing has shown a heightened interest in Africa. "We are well aware the Chinese are working very hard on African issues," he said.