On the afternoon of May 29, 2007, the special representative of Chinese government on Darfur Liu Guijin, at the invitation of the International Press Center, held a briefing for about 70 Chinese and foreign journalists, introducing to them his recent visit to Sudan and answering their questions. Deputy Director General of the Information Department Jiang Yu hosted the briefing.
Jiang: ladies and gentlemen, today we are very glad to have Ambassador Liu Guijin to introduce his recent visit to Sudan. Later Ambassador Liu would like to answer your questions.
Liu: it is a great pleasure to meet our journalist friends. I have years of working experiences related with African affairs and have worked in Africa for a long period of time. I have an especially friendly feeling towards Africa. Recently I was appointed the special representative of Chinese government on Darfur and in this capacity I paid the first visit to Sudan from May 19 to 23 with the major task of establishing contact and exchanging opinions with the Sudanese side on the Darfur issue. During my visit, I met with Sudanese Vice President Osman Mohammed Taha, Presidential Adviser Majzoub al-Khalifa, Minister of Energy and Mining Awadh Ahmed al-Gaz and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs al- Wasila al-Samani. We exchanged views on bilateral relations and the Darfur issue. I also visited northern and southern Darfur and three refugee camps and attended the handover ceremony on the third batch of humanitarian assistance materials provided by the Chinese government to Darfur. I am deeply impressed by the visit. Now I am ready to answer your questions on the Darfur issue. Thank you!
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Q: What is the comment of the Chinese government on Bush's announcement of upcoming sanctions against Sudan? There are some people in Sudan saying that Sudan is China's colony. What's your comment?
A: Positive progress of solving the Darfur issue has emerged. The Sudanese government has declared a two-month cease-fire period and is communicating and coordinating actively with the UN Secretary-General's special envoy on Darfur and the coordinator of the African Union (AU) on Darfur to promote the political process in the region. Under such circumstances, expanding sanctions or imposing greater pressure will not be helpful for the settlement of the issue. The international community should use its wisdom to push for a peaceful resolution by political means. China supports implementing the "double track" strategy in a balanced manner to address the issue, accelerating the implementation of Annan plan on the one hand and promoting the political process in the Darfur region on the other hand. Too much pressure or expanding sanctions will not be helpful for the settlement of the issue, but further complicate the situation. Many previous cases have already proved that even if a large number of military forces are sent to a country problems will never be properly addressed without the country's internal political process.
The energy cooperation between China and Sudan started in 1996 and is transparent, mutually beneficial and non-exclusive. We believe that the root cause of Darfur issue is poverty and backwardness. Only by solving the problem of development can the issue be ultimately resolved. Therefore, for Sudan peace and development are closely linked with each other. The oil cooperation between China and Sudan is conducive to Sudan's economic progress and helpful for fundamentally addressing war chaos and turmoil in Sudan. I wonder whether you know or not that China National Petroleum Cooperation (CNPC) holds certain equity in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co., so do the oil companies from other countries. But I find it very strange only the Chinese company is questioned by some media. So China's normal oil cooperation with Sudan is politicized.
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Q: What's your comment on the claim that "Sudan is China's colony"?
A: Actually I have answered this question. China's oil cooperation with Sudan is mutually beneficial, equal, transparent and non-exclusive. It is beneficial to peace and development of Sudan and consequently helpful for fundamentally solving the domestic conflict of Sudan in the long run. In fact as early as in 1996 some western companies have started exploring oil in Sudan. During my visit to Sudan I read a newspaper article saying a French company and a British company filed a lawsuit to the British court due to dispute on oil exploration right. Therefore to explore oil in a country is a normal business activity. Hence we oppose politicizing normal energy cooperation or making hype about it. It is groundless and against the fact.
Q: The U.S. is pushing for UN's passing of new sanctions against Sudan. Will the Chinese government exercise its veto right? How long China will allow Sudan to consider whether or not to accept the three-phase plan? Will it allow Sudan to drag on endlessly?
A: We all know that the Abuja Peace Agreement on the Darfur issue was reached with the joint efforts of the international community including the U.S. and the AU. Later the three-phase Annan plan was raised. At present the Sudanese government, the UN and the AU are discussing how to start implementing the second-phase plan as soon as possible. On the third-phase plan related parties still have some differences mainly on the commanding right of the joint peacekeeping operations, but Sudan has expressed the will of further discussion. As a sound momentum of solving the Darfur issue emerges, to expand sanctions will only make it more difficult to find the solution. No matter the international community, the U.S. government or the UN, the basic objective of whatever we do is to solve the problem. If the issue is made more complex and hence more people become displaced and greater turmoil and violation of human rights occur, how can we achieve the objective? This is the basic consideration of the Chinese government on the settlement of the Darfur issue.
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Q: Do you mean that the passing of a new resolution on sanctions will lead to greater humanitarian disaster?
A: I do not mean that the suggestion of the U.S. on expanding sanctions will make more people in Darfur displaced. However, past experience shows that a peaceful and political solution should be first of all sought when addressing regional war chaos and conflict. Some positive signs have occurred on the Darfur issue. For example, the representatives of the UN Secretary-General and the AU on Darfur are making intensive efforts to push forward the political process and have conducted several rounds of contacts with the opposition forces. The Sudanese government also indicated readiness to negotiate with the opposition forces whenever necessary. Under such circumstances, why can't the international community give a little more time, a little more chance and a little more patience to resolve the issue?
Q: How could the Chinese government avoid greater complexity of the Darfur issue? Does the Chinese government appoint its special representative on African affairs in order to reduce the pressure from the international community on China? For example the Darfur issue is linked with the Olympic Games.
A: The Chinese government has played a positive and constructive role in solving the Darfur issue. Our basic principle is to work for peace and facilitate talks. To alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the Chinese government has promised five batches of altogether more than RMB80 million of assistance, and part of the assistance materials has been transferred to Darfur. China will provide greater aid. Meanwhile China, within its own capacity, has provided assistance to the AU. The Chinese government recently announced the decision of dispatching 275 Chinese military engineers to participate in the implementation of the second phase of Annan plan. It once again shows the positive attitude of the Chinese government appointing me as the special representative on Darfur. The Chinese government especially sets this position to strengthen consultations, communication and coordination on the Darfur issue with the purpose of better solving the issue.
On the question of Olympic Games, I have also read some western media report. The basic Olympic spirit is that Olympic Games are not to be politicized. It is totally groundless to link the Olympic Games with the Chinese government's approach to the Darfur issue. China has played a positive role in solving the Darfur issue and will play a more constructive part. During my visit to the Darfur region I found the local natural conditions are extremely harsh and saw the efforts of the international community and the Sudanese government of solving the humanitarian crisis. In the camps I visited I did not see the claimed miserable scene that a lot of people died of hunger. The local situation is getting improved. The root cause of the Darfur issue is poverty and backwardness. Due to scarcity of resources, local tribes fight for water and land. It is at the bottom an issue of development. If the international community sincerely hopes settle the issue, in addition to the humanitarian aid it should provide more development assistance.
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Q: China is blamed for the environmental deterioration and unequal treatment of local workers in Africa. How can China prevent the spread of such blame?
A: China's presence in Africa is actually not new. As we know, China and African countries enjoy long-term cooperative relations featuring equality and mutual benefit. In recent years, China's economic, trade and social development cooperation with African countries is expanding. The Chinese government always encourages Chinese companies to observe local laws and regulations when conducting equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with African countries. The fact is the presence of Chinese companies in Africa brings about tangible help to African countries and is widely recognized by them. Of course, I have noticed some negative report concerning individual Chinese companies, but it is in no way the policy of the Chinese government. The Chinese government will continue to encourage and educate the Chinese companies doing business in Africa to better integrate into the local community, employ local labor force and observe local laws and regulations so as to realize common development based on equality and mutual benefit.
Q: If the UN votes to expand sanctions against Sudan, will China exercise the veto right?
A: It's too early to talk about whether China will exercise its veto right. Furthermore, the representatives of the UN Secretary-General and the AU are making positive and effective efforts to push forward the peace process in Darfur. Some opposition forces in Sudan have difference voices, so the UN Secretary-General and the special representatives need to make greater efforts to form a basically unified position. Only in this way can peace be realized in Darfur at the earliest date possible. China expects to push forward the political process in Darfur. The Sudanese government also hopes the Chinese government plays its due role in this regard. China supports all the initiatives conducive to the political solution of the Darfur issue and the efforts of the international community.
Q: Could you provide the specific figures of humanitarian and development assistance provided by China to Sudan? How could China explain the big difference between the two figures?
A: In fact I do not think there is great divide between the so-called development assistance and humanitarian assistance in terms of China's cooperation with Sudan. For example, during my visit, the people of northern Darfur expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for providing development assistance to solve the problem of electricity and water supply and build the dam. I feel that it is both development and humanitarian assistance. Chinese oil companies also build many roads in Sudan and help Sudan establish a relatively comprehensive oil industry, greatly facilitating the economic and social progress of Sudan. Development assistance cannot be separated from humanitarian aid. China is ready to help Sudan develop economy and raise people's living standard so as to eradicate the root cause of turmoil. I have worked in Africa for many years. Many African countries face the same problem. For instance, the rural area of Ethiopia is also poverty-stricken. I didn't see big difference in Sudan during my visit. The poorest regions are very similar. Even in the relatively developed countries such as South Africa there are many poor areas. Poverty and backwardness are the root cause of all war turmoil and conflicts in Africa. The international community has made great efforts to address poverty in Africa, so has China. We will continue with our consistent policy of providing humanitarian assistance on the one hand and expanding cooperation in the field of economic and social development on the other hand.
I have also read some media report on the problem you mentioned. However, the international community should recognize the basic fact that with the joint efforts of the international community including the UN, the AU and the Sudanese government the general situation in Darfur has basically been put under control and humanitarian situation is turning for the better. Of course, extreme difficulties and security problems do exist in Darfur, and there is room for improvement in the implementation of the Darfur peace agreement. The Chinese government sincerely hopes the Darfur issue moves in the direction of political solution and has made great efforts to that end. When I visited Sudan last week, during talks and meetings with Sudanese leaders, we have conveyed the concerns of the international community to the Sudanese government on many occasions and suggest the Sudanese government show more flexibility and strength to accelerate the peace process. We all know that there are many solutions to one problem. We should take multiple measures in stead of just focusing on one side. Only in this way can problems be settled properly.
Q: During the recent meeting between Chinese foreign minister and his French counterpart, the French side raised the suggestion of opening the humanitarian "corridor" linking Chad and Sudan. What's the response of the Chinese side?
A: In fact the Chinese government takes an open and positive attitude in solving the Darfur issue. We welcome all the suggestions conducive to the political solution of the Darfur issue from the international community including France. We are willing to carefully study such suggestions and play a constructive role.
Q: China recently held the Palestine-Israel Peace Forum Conference. Will the Chinese government hold a similar conference for the Sudanese government and opposition forces?
A: As far as I'm concerned up to now there has yet not existed such consideration. As I have said, we hold a positive attitude towards all the suggestions and opinions conducive to the solution of the Darfur issue. When I introduced to the Arabic side my visit to Sudan, they told me the Arabic countries are also actively developing the "roadmap" to address the Darfur issue. We welcome all the initiatives which are helpful for the settlement of the issue.
Today's briefing will end here. I would like to thank ambassador Liu for making the introduction and answering the questions and the journalists for your attention. Goodbye!