Envoy Lauds China's Role In Diplomacy With Sudan

Liu Guijin, China's special representative to Darfur, yesterday trumpeted his country's success in persuading the Sudanese government in Khartoum to approve a hybrid African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force for the troubled Darfur region.

At the same time, Liu fervently rejected any tie between the atrocities in Darfur and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saying that linking the Games and what is happening in Darfur is "ridiculous" and like comparing "cattle to horses."

Liu spoke at a briefing at the Chinese Embassy here after the Sudanese government and rebel groups agreed to begin talks in Libya on Oct. 27. The talks would push for peace in Darfur ahead of the deployment of the 26,000 U.N.-A.U. peacekeepers. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon announced the negotiations at a news conference in Khartoum yesterday.

The Libya talks, which Sudanese authorities pledged to participate in "constructively," are to include at least some of the eight rebel groups from Darfur and will be mediated by U.N. and A.U. officials Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmad Salim.

In preparation for the deployment of the hybrid force, China has completed a portable water supply facility in southern Darfur and is planning another one in the northern region of the western province, in addition to a hospital, Liu said.

At the embassy briefing here, Liu gave an impassioned defense of his country against media campaigns and criticism accusing China of indirectly financing the Khartoum-backed Arab Janjaweed militia by its purchases of Sudan's oil.

Despite China's $3.3 billion in trade with Sudan, Liu said, China is getting only 8.7 percent of all African oil exports as opposed to 23 percent for the United States and 36 percent for Europe. "If with 8.7 percent China is charged with looting resources, I don't know the words that describe the exports to these other countries," he said. China's oil exploration concessions are "transparent, inclusive and mutually beneficial," he said.

"You have eaten all the meat and only left us with some soup. We just start to sip the soup and you are accusing us of wrongdoing," Liu said. "Do you think this is fair? Is it fair?" he said, his voice rising to a high pitch.

Liu, a former ambassador to South Africa who has held senior posts on China's Africa desk, underlined the "positive influence" Beijing has had in making Sudanese authorities comply with international obligations to end the violence in Darfur. In more than four years of conflict in Darfur, as many as 450,000 people have died from violence and disease and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.

"Sometimes we have different perspectives than the United States, but we share the same fundamental purpose and goals," he said. China does not like to talk about what it does behind the scenes diplomatically, he said, but "it is very fair to say we played a very unique and positive role."

Liu also said Beijing is concerned over the arming of rebel and militia groups and has raised that issue, as well as Sudan's refusal to hand over two officials wanted by the International Criminal Court. However, he said China did not believe in "patronizing" the Sudanese but instead wished to engage them on an equal footing.

The Chinese diplomat said he also had candid discussions with nongovernmental organizations such as the Save Darfur Coalition.