China, Sudan, and the Olympics - A Background

In less than a year, China will host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. As China prepares to host the Olympics, one of the world’s most powerful symbols of peace and brotherhood, it is failing to help end genocide in Darfur, one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

As many as 400,000 people have already been killed in Darfur, and 2.5 million people have been driven from their homes.

All countries have a responsibility to stand up for the people of Darfur. China’s economic, political, and military ties to the Sudanese government, however, give it considerable influence over Sudan’s decisions. Sudan’s relationship with China has allowed part of the country to prosper even as the Sudanese government commits horrific atrocities on its people.

We must pressure China to do more to help end the genocide. Following are some reasons why:

Sudan’s economy rests on China

Sudan’s economy is heavily dependent on foreign direct investment, and China is its biggest investor.

  • China purchases nearly three quarters of Sudan’s global exports, and provides nearly a quarter of its imports.
  • Sino-Sudanese ties have continued to grow closer even as Sudan’s atrocities continue. Just recently, the Chinese National Petroleum Company decided to co-develop a large Sudanese offshore oil block.
  • China provides Sudan with significant economic assistance. In February 2007, as the killings continued, China offered Sudan unconditional loans for infrastructure, including a new presidential palace, and wrote off $80 million in Sudanese debt.
  • While China does provide modest humanitarian aid for Darfur, the amount is negligible compared to the economic crutch it gives the government in Khartoum.

China is allowing Sudan’s military to wreak havoc in Darfur

Chinese funds are bolstering the Sudanese military, which is responsible for many of the atrocities in Darfur.

  • China has helped Sudan construct weapons manufacturing facilities and has sold Sudan large amounts of military equipment, much of which has ended up in Darfur.
  • China buys much of Sudan’s oil, and according to an ex-finance minister of Sudan, 70% of Sudan’s oil profits are dedicated to military expenditures.
  • China’s Minister of Defense, while meeting with a Sudanese counterpart in April 2007, said that China was “willing to further develop cooperation between the two militaries in every sphere [italics added].”

China has given Sudan diplomatic cover in the UN

China has blocked several international efforts to hold Sudan’s genocidal regime accountable for its actions.

  • On several occasions, China prevented the United Nations from taking strong action against Sudan, using the threat of its veto in the UN Security Council to weaken or obstruct passage of punitive measures such as sanctions.
  • China helped the Khartoum government thwart deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to Darfur, even though the mission was authorized by the UN Security Council in August 2006. This is the first time the UN has failed to deploy such an operation once approved by the Security Council
  • Even though China did play a constructive role in July 2007 to enable the authorization of a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, many reports suggest that it also helped weaken the resolution before it passed.

China must do more

China must take the following steps to protect the 2.5 million people who have been chased from their homes in Darfur and face the threat of starvation, disease, and rape, as well as the hundreds of thousands still in their homes who risk displacement, torture, and death.

  1. As a leading member of both the Security Council and the G-77, China should push for the swift recruitment and deployment of the peacekeeping mission authorized by Resolution 1769.
  2. China should publicly acknowledge the mass killings, human suffering, and displacement taking place in Darfur.
  3. China should make clear to Sudan that if it again obstructs progress towards peace, it will damage Chinese-Sudanese relations -- including trade and investment.
  4. China should suspend all arms sales and military cooperation with Sudan until the atrocities have ended.
  5. China should work with other countries to strengthen the peace process led by AU and UN envoys, pressure all parties to participate in peace talks, and push the Sudanese government to reach a new agreement.
  6. China should provide greater humanitarian assistance to Darfuri victims.