China's role in Sudan's Darfur crisis and oil interests

China and Sudan (darfur crisis)

China and Sudan: The Darfur crisis

The world of international politics and relationships has become increasing complex. This is due to a number of important factors, which include the phenomenon of globalization and increased economic competition, coupled with the reduction in the availability of natural resources. The decrease in the supply of resource such as oil has had an important impact on international relationships and has increased competition.

The growing Chinese economy finds itself in a precarious and difficult situation. As its internal demands grow, it seeks to compete with other major countries in terms of oil and other economic areas. At the same time, it has to tread carefully in terms of the political and economic ties that it has made with certain countries. The interdependence between Sudan and China is a particularly delicate, and one in which China has been accused by many commentators of furthering and possibly inflaming the terrible and problematic civil war in that country.

China is a country that has shown radical growth in economic terms. This has resulted in an increasing political awareness among other countries of the potential of China. This is also reflected in an awareness of China's influence on world economics and diplomatic affairs. In short, China is being recognized as one of the most powerful players on the international stage.

However, the rise of China takes place at a complex and difficult time in world affairs. As the competition for resources has increased, countries like the United States and Japan find that they have to contend with and take China into account. Within this context, China finds that it is under increasing pressure to find the resources to feed its growing economy. The country has a 2007 GDP growth of approximately 11.3%, which means that it is forced to find the needed resources to fuel and sustain its growing economy. This has resulted in the country searching for areas of resources and raw materials that are less contested in the world. Consequently, China has entered the African market and is the largest trading partner and the main foreign investor in Africa's oil industry.

However investing in Africa brings a number of human rights and international issues to bear. The Darfur region of Western Sudan has become one of the most discussed areas of the world in terms of the conflict and human rights abuses associated with the region. The origins of the recent Sudan conflict, which began in 2003, seem to be related to ethnic and tribal differences.

The Sudanese government and a militia group known as the Janjaweed are pitted against an array of rebel groups, including the "http: Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. The acts of rape and Genocide have mainly been ascribed to the actions of the Janjaweed, with which the Sudanese government refuses to acknowledge any contact or complicity. While the actual causes of the conflict are difficult to discern the consensus is that drought, desertification, and overpopulation are among the causative factors.

The issue that has raised international condemnation is the large number of innocent people killed or forced to move because of the conflict. The figures in this regard are alarming. Official estimates are that more than 180,0000 people have been killed and unofficial estimates put the figure at between 200,000 and 400,000 dead with more than a million people displaced.

Sudan: Death Toll in Darfur)

Source: (http://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/fs/2005/45105.htm)

There are many reports that openly accuse the Sudanese government for this situation.

The genocide is the brutal plan of three men in the Sudanese national Government -- President Bashir, Vice-President Taha, Security Chief Gosh. Now they are spreading their system of terror to other African countries, including Chad and the Central African Republic

Darfur: a genocide we can stop)

Given these figures and the international condemnation it is not surprising that China's close association the Sudanese government has come under the international spotlight. This has resulted in many reports that openly suggest that China is complicit in the atrocities through its economic and diplomatic support of the Sudanese government.

Chinese companies have turned a blind eye to the brutal way in which Sudan forced 200,000 to 300,000 of its citizens from oil-rich lands without compensation. Nor have these companies shown concern that Sudan uses oil revenue to purchase arms for its wars against its black African population.

Calling on China: The China-Darfur Connection)

Sudanese interests

In terms of oil, China has extensive interests in the Sudan. At present the China National Petroleum Corp. owns 40%, which amount to the largest single share, of the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co. This is a consortium that,."..dominates Sudan's oil fields in partnership with the national energy company and firms from Malaysia and India." (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet) Furthermore, "China's relationship with Sudan includes close and comprehensive bilateral economic, political and military ties, as well as diplomatic support in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations" (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet).

China has therefore become the world's largest player in Sudan's oil industry. It has interests as well in the development, extraction, and acquisition of Sudan's oil. Another fact that adds to the relationship on an economic level between the two countries is that oil accounts for 70% of Sudan's total global exports and that Sudan's oil exports account for 7% of China's total oil imports. (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet).

One of the most contentious issues in the relationship between China and the Sudan are the arms interests. The trading in arms from China to the Sudan has a relatively long history. China sold arms to the Sudan as early as the mid-1960s, when the Nimeiri government (1969-85) bought weapons from China. However, when the civil war in Sudan escalated in the 1990, the purchases of arms from China were increased. These increased purchases were also a result of Sudan's improved financial position due to of international credit for the sale of oil and future potential sales. (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet). The types of arms that have been purchased by the Sudan from China since the 1990s include tanks, helicopters, and fighter aircraft as well as antipersonnel and antitank mines. There are many reports of the use of Chinese weapons in the ongoing struggle in the Sudan.

A according to a Sudanese government official. The SPLA in 1997 overran government garrison towns in the south, and in one town alone, Yei, a Human Rights Watch researcher saw eight Chinese 122 mm towed howitzers, five Chinese-made T-59 tanks, and one Chinese 37 mm anti-aircraft gun abandoned by the government army,,

China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet).

Other indications of the involvement and relationship between the two countries in terms of arms and weapons can be seen in the fact that China has aided Sudan in establishing three weapons manufacturing facilities in the country, which includes a facility for the assembly T-55 tanks. (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet)

An important factor that adds to the complexity of the human rights issues is that China has established and maintains defense relationships with the Sudan. The significance of this is that this relationship is in defiance of a UN-imposed arms embargo against the country which has been in place for Darfur since 2005.

The other Ares of economic interrelationship between China include foreign investment and trade. Chins is Sudan's largest foreign investor and there are many Chinese firms who have interests in the energy-related sectors of the Sudanese economy. Chins is also Sudan's largest trading partner and Sudan accounts for 13% of China's total trade with Africa. (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet)

Diplomat and political relationships

Diplomatic Bilateral ties exist between Beijing and Khartoum. This also includes high-level government visits and missions. An important aspect that reflects on the issue of human night and Chinese involvement or responsibility is that China insists in a policy of "non-interference" in Sudanese domestic issues. In other words, the diplomatic relationships between the two countries are not, according to the Chinese view, influenced by the human rights in the Sudan. This is an aspect that is at the centre of the controversy about China's involvement in the country and is related to the central question of whether China is to be held partly responsible for the genocide and human rights transgressions that are constantly reported. As will be discussed, the Chinese economic and military involvement in Sudan would seem to suggest that to a large extent they are responsible for much the conflict in the country - or that they at providing the means for the continuation of the conflict.

3. The question of Chinese responsibility for Darfur

The above analysis of the relationship China and Sudan leads to the central question of this paper: is China responsible for the continuation of the crisis in Darfur by its support for the Sudanese government? Two aspects should be considered in answering to this question. The first is the obvious fact that China supports the government of Sudan both militarily and economically in terms of trade agreements; as well as diplomatically and politically. To this extent, the argument can be made that as it has a very strong position from which it could have influenced and helped in stopping this genocidal conflict. The implied allegation is that China chooses not interfere for reasons of economic gain.

This argument has also to be considered in the light of a central aspect that emerges for the above analysis. This refers to the fact that China with growing population and economic requirements desperately needs resources; and that it has been forced to a certain extent by the dominance of powerful corporations to seek these resources in countries like Sudan. From this point-of-view China has seemingly little choice but to maintain a relationship with Sudan. However this argument does not effectively excuse it from a certain amount of complicity in the action of the Sudanese government.

An important aspect in terms of international relationships is that China has become one of the leading supporters of the Sudan at the United Nations. As one report contends, this factor is also "...the major impediment to strong UN Security Council action against the government of Sudan for its role in the mass killing and genocide in Darfur" (China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet). In other words, the allegation has been made that China is in fact preventing the cessation of the conflict by its support for the Sudanese government. One report also states,

China has succeeded in watering down or weakening several Security Council resolutions related to Darfur, including Resolution 1706, which authorized a robust peacekeeping force of 22,500 UN troops to protect civilians; China insisted this resolution be deployed only "with the consent" of Sudan.

China, Sudan and the Darfur Conflict Fact Sheet)

The international condemnation of China's role in the Darfur contact can be seen as being morally and ethically sustainable, even it one takes into account its economic dependent on the region.

3. Conclusion

Darfur has become a name that is synonymous with atrocity and the most severe breaches of human rights. China has constently accused in the Western media of, partnership of the world's fastest-growing oil consumer with a pariah state accused of fostering genocide in its western Darfur region. (Goodman). The fact and statistics leave little doubt that China is at least partly responsible for the situation in Darfur. However, what must also be taken into account and which is not always noted, is that China has a desperate need for resources to feed its growing economy.

Due to its influence in the region, China could be instrumental in reducing the conflict in the region. It has been suggested that it could play a constructive role in the region and positive action on the part of the Chinese government could alleviate the international pressure and condemnation of its involvement in the region. There are signs that China has already begun to realize this fact. There are reports of internal criticism of the relationship with the Sudanese at a " grassroots level" which has resulted in the 2008 summer games in Beijing being referred to as the "genocide Olympics." (Shaming China on Darfur) However, China's official stance remains that there is no evidence of any genocide in Darfur.