Source: Shanghai Daily

06-04-2007 17:23

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised yesterday China's "helpful" role in Sudan, defending China against charges by an advocacy group that it was obstructing a solution to the violence in Darfur.

Speaking to reporters, Ban also rejected comparisons made by the Save Darfur Coalition between China's actions in Sudan and its promotion of the 2008 Olympic Games, which it will be hosting in Beijing. He described the two issues as separate, Reuters reported.

China, which has veto power on the UN Security Council, is a major investor in Sudan's oil industry and has invested heavily in its infrastructure.

It favors sending UN peacekeepers to Darfur, where the United Nations estimates that fighting by government-linked militias and rebel groups has killed 200,000 people and forced 2 million more to flee their homes, but opposes any penalties to make Khartoum comply.

Ban said: "The Chinese government has been exerting its utmost efforts (on Darfur), as I understand and appreciate."

China had appointed a special envoy on Darfur, President Hu Jintao had visited Sudan in February and China had sent other high-level officials to Khartoum to discuss Darfur, he said.

"I appreciate such a Chinese role ... certainly it is helpful," Ban said.

Ban said of the Olympics: "I think this is a separate issue."

The United States imposed unilateral sanctions on Sudan this week and sought support for an international arms embargo. But China said on Thursday new sanctions would hurt efforts to implement a UN peace plan for the western Sudanese country.

Sudan has agreed in principle to the UN plan to send in peacekeepers to bolster an African Union force, but says the ultimate number of troops is too large.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan