[A-List] Hu's trip to Sudan raises hopes on Darfur crisis

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

International Herald Tribune <http://www.iht.com/>
Hu's trip to Sudan raises hopes on Darfur crisis

The Associated Press
Friday, February 2, 2007
KHARTOUM, Sudan

President Hu Jintao of China on Friday kicked off a landmark two-day 
visit to Sudan, amid high expectations he would push China's longtime 
ally to better cooperate with the United Nations in solving the Darfur 
crisis.

Cheering Sudanese, some dancing to drums, lined the road to the airport 
while the police beefed up security across the capital. State-run 
television broadcast the reception, with a red carpet and fanfare, at 
the Khartoum airport.

"I am extremely happy to visit Sudan at the invitation of President Omar 
al- Bashir," Hu said in a prepared statement at the airport. "Although 
the distance between China and Sudan is great, the friendship between 
the two people is deeply rooted."

A small crowd of Chinese residents and Chinese UN peacekeepers here 
waved Chinese and Sudanese flags as the two leaders reviewed a 
white-clad presidential guard.

Khartoum said Hu's visit was geared toward "bilateral relations and 
other important issues of common interest," without specifying if these 
would be commercial matters or would include human rights issues.

Khartoum expects its staunchest diplomatic ally to stick to boosting 
commercial ties, particularly for Sudan's oil. China, which is the 
biggest foreign investor in Sudan and buys two- thirds of the country's 
oil exports, has used its veto-wielding status on the UN Security 
Council to prevent harsh measures against Sudan over the Darfur conflict.

But Beijing has raised expectations that Hu may bring some pressure on 
Khartoum to show flexibility in ending Darfur's bloodshed.

In an unusual foray into the field of human rights, Chinese officials 
ahead of Hu's visit urged Sudan to cooperate in finding a solution in 
Darfur in rare pronouncements under China's traditional refusal to 
interfere in what it considers other countries' internal affairs.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million been chased 
from their homes in Sudan's remote western region since 2003, when 
rebels stemming from ethnic African tribes rose up against the central 
government.

On Thursday, an African Union peacekeeper was killed by gunmen in a 
Darfur refugee camp, the 11th peacekeeper to be killed in the conflict.

Sudan has refused demands that it allow UN peacekeepers into the region, 
calling "neocolonial" a UN Security Council plan to replace an 
overwhelmed African Union force with some 22,000 UN peacekeepers.

But Hu's visit could indicate that the Sudanese leadership is grudgingly 
moving toward a compromise deal for UN troops to merge with the African 
force and form a joint peacekeeping mission.

Ban Ki Moon, the UN secretary general, urged China to help persuade 
Sudan to accept UN peacekeepers during a meeting last week with the 
Chinese ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya.

Khartoum is accused of having responded with indiscriminate killings by 
unleashing the janjaweed militias, government-allied Arab nomads blamed 
for the worst atrocities in Darfur.

The White House and others have labeled the conflict as genocide, but 
the Sudanese government denies the charges.

"This visit is going to be a great boost for the distinguished Sudanese- 
Chinese relations in various fields," Bashir said Thursday, according to 
the official Sudan News Agency, SUNA.

The Sudanese economy grew by 12 percent last year, according to the 
International Monetary Fund. Chinese investment has largely contributed 
to boost production of oil, which has risen to an output of 500,000 
barrels a day. China is also funding large projects such as the $1.8 
billion Merowe hydroelectric complex.