Economic Ties
Oil:
China is the world’s largest player in Sudan’s
oil industry, with major roles in the
development, extraction, and acquisition of
Sudan’s oil. Oil accounts for 70% of Sudan’s
total global exports ($5.25 billion in 2006).
Much of this oil revenue goes directly to
support the military.
Foreign investment:
China is the largest foreign investor in Sudan,
with these investments centering on and of most
benefit to Khartoum itself. Chinese firms are
active in energy-related sectors of Sudan’s
economy, including construction of oil
pipelines, electricity and hydropower
facilities, as well as in infrastructure
development.
Trade: China is
Sudan’s largest trading partner– purchasing 71%
of Sudan’s global exports, and providing 21% of
its global imports. Sudan, in turn, is China’s
third largest trading partner in Africa.
Economic ties between China and Sudan grew much
closer over the past year. Trade more than
doubled in the first half of 2007, and China has
continued to sign new agreements with Khartoum.
Political
Relations
Bilateral ties: There is an active
bilateral relationship between Beijing and
Khartoum, including frequent high-level
government visits and missions. President Hu
Jintao of China visited Sudan in February 2007.
China emphasizes that its economic ties and
assistance to Sudan are not conditioned on that
country’s human rights or political behavior.
China has adopted a policy of “non-interference”
in Sudanese domestic issues.
Support at the UN:
China has been the leading supporter of Sudan at
the United Nations, and the major impediment to
stronger UN Security Council action against the
government of Sudan for its role in the mass
killing and genocide in Darfur.
China has thwarted or watered down several
Security Council resolutions related to Darfur.
China has prevented resolutions that would
impose multilateral economic and diplomatic
sanctions, and resisted efforts to sanction
Sudanese officials charged with war crimes.
Military
Cooperation
Arms
sales:
Over the past decade and more, China
has been the leading supplier of weapons and
weapons technology to Sudan. Beijing defends its
military sales to Khartoum as legal. UN and
human rights organizations have reported
sightings of Chinese-made small arms weapons,
military trucks, and other war materiel being
used by Sudanese government forces, and their
janjaweed militia in Darfur.
Weapons factories:
China helped establish three weapons
manufacturing facilities in Sudan, including one
that assembles T-55 tanks.
Defense cooperation:
China maintains a close defense relationship
with Sudan, despite a UN-imposed arms embargo
which has been in place for Darfur since 2005.
Recent
Developments
For
part of 2007, China played a mixed role
diplomatically. Through July, China
did help facilitate the passage of UN Security
Council Resolution 1769 – creating the new
UNAMID peacekeeping force – and encouraged Sudan
to agree to other potential steps towards peace.
It also appointed a special envoy to Sudan and
contributed military engineers to UNAMID.
On the other hand, China worked behind the
scenes to significantly weaken the terms of 1769
(for example, stripping sanctions language that
would have provided clear incentives for Sudan’s
cooperation with UNAMID) and regularly mimicked
Sudanese arguments that aim to sanitize the
situation in Darfur.
Since UNAMID’s passage,
however, China has reverted to supporting
Khartoum. With one recent exception,
China has remained silent as Sudan has blocked
the rapid and effective deployment of UNAMID,
renewed its violent actions towards Darfurians,
and undermined the humanitarian situation. China
has blocked additional UN actions to pressure
Sudan to change its behavior.
Sources: Save Darfur Coalition; Dream for Darfur