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An Exclusive Interview with
Liu Guijin, Chinese Envoy in Sudan
03-18-2008
China has been
related closely with the international community in term of interests, said Liu
Guijin, the special representative of the Chinese government on Darfur issue of
Sudan in an exclusive interview with Media. Its detailed contents are as
follows:
Q. Internationally, certain forces often mention China-Sudan oil cooperation
on the Darfur issue, could you brief us on
the true situation?
A. China-Sudan oil cooperation has been a matter of recent years. Sudan used to
rely on import oil. A Chinese oil firm has helped the country set up a complete
petroleum industrial setup in less than a decade, and its economic and social
development has entered a new era. I often asked Western reporters if they knew
which African nation's GDP had grown fastest and they often shook their heads.
Then, I told them it was Sudan, whose GDP rose 11 percent last year and 9
percent in 2006.
Certain forces have repeatedly linked the Sino-Sudanese cooperation to Darfur
issue. In fact, such mutually-beneficial cooperation is conducive to the
solution of Darfur issue, as its root cause lies in poverty and the lack of
development. The Sudanese government has used oil revenue to spur the national
development including the development of Darfur region.
As a matter of fact, China-Sudan oil cooperation is mutual, equal, transparent
and non-exclusive. Many people may not know about a famed oil firm named the
Greater Nile Petroleum Co. in Sudan, and A Chinese Petroleum Company holds its
40 percent stake, whereas the Sudanese government has five percent stake and two
other Asian oil firms have a joint 55 percent stake.
Some people censured China as “plundering resources of Africa”. This charge,
however, does not hold water and is groundless. Relevant statistics indicated
that China only imported 8.7 percent of the oil produced in Africa in 2006,
whereas 33 percent of African oil tapped in the year was exported to the United
States, and 36 percent to the European Union (EU).
Q. such accusation is also often heard with regard to Sino-Sudan arms
cooperation …
A. such a charge is also unfair. The Sudanese defense minister said in September
2007 that his country becomes the third arms producer on the African continent
only after Egypt and South Africa, and it is currently self sufficient with the
supply of conventional arms. China only constituted a share of 2.11 percent in
the total global arms sale in 2006, noted a 2006 report of the International
Peace Research Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Moreover, according to figures
released by the US Congressional Research Service in September 2007, the United
States remained the world's largest seller of arms to developing countries. It
sold 36 percent of its arms to developing countries, while Russia sold 28
percent, Britain 11 percent, Germany 6 percent and China only 3 percent.
On the issue of Sino-Sudan arms cooperation, China does not export arms to
non-country entities; its quantities of arms sale are very limited; and they
represent only conventional weapons as far as their performance is concerned;
they are not entitled to be transferred to a third party; and they are to be
used merely for their just self-defense. On this issue, China has never violated
with the relevant United Nation resolutions, and it has been meticulous,
restrained and very responsible in practice.
Q. Some international forces crave for strong desires to link the
Darfur issue with Beijing's summer Olympics. Do you
think the intrinsic logic can be established?
A. I deem such a logic is extremely absurd, for it is crazy objectively or
simply poses an objective imagination. Darfur issue and Beijing Olympic Games
are totally irrelevant. If this logic is followed, war turmoil in a number of
regions around the world should be ascribed to Western nations, as they have
involved themselves in oil exploitation in these regions.
Q. As the special representative of the Chinese government on Darfur issue,
you have made four trips to Sudan and attended the relevant international
conference recently. For a proper solution of Darfur issue, what is the focused
effort of the Chinese government on the issue?
Sudan, Africa's largest country by land mass, has a unique geographical location
with nine bordering nations; it is in an intermediate zone connecting the Arab
world to the sub-Sahara African nations and a transit region to connect Islamism
and Christianity with interwoven tribal and religious contradictions. In fact,
low-intensity conflicts have existed in the region for half a century at least.
If this regional issue is out of control, it will not be conducive first to the
interests of Sudan and its neighbors and then to the interests of the whole
Africa and the international community. Meanwhile, it is not compliant with the
interests of the countries concerned, including China, as the interests of China
and the international community are related closely to each other.
On the settlement of Darfur issue, first, the Chinese side holds that it is
essential to resort to negotiations and dialogue to seek a long-term,
sustainable solution acceptable to all parties and opposes to pressure and
punitive measures. Second, Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should
be respected. Third, there is an urgent need to advance a “dual-track strategy”,
namely, to step up the deployment of the mixe UN-AU Darfur peacekeeping force
while pressing ahead with the political reconciliation process. Fourth, China
maintains that the humanity situation and security situation should be
stabilized and restored as early as possibly and, fifth, China stands for
settling relevant issues through consultations on an equal footing via a
tripartite mechanism of the UN, AU and the Sudanese government, which has been
proven as a viable channel for the solution of problems.
There is no fundamental difference or antagonism between the policies of the
Western nations and China on Darfur issue, and, nevertheless, there are indeed
some differences between them in some concepts, manners and ways of resolving
problems, and China is also in opposition to the politicking of some technical
matters, which cannot resolve any problems.
Moreover, the role China has played on the issue has won an increasing
recognition of the international community. “China in my view has been very
cooperative,” said Andrew S. Natsios, the former special envoy of President
George W. Bush to Sudan.
The State-owned China Nation Petroleum (CNPC), the single largest investor in
Sudan through its 40 percent stake in Greater Nile Petroleum, based in Khartoum,
has contributed about 40 million dollars to put up bridges, nurseries, clinics,
schools and a training center. In the field of offering humane aid, the Chinese
firm has also done a lot of practical, substantial things in Darfur region.
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