Washington - The Senate today took a major step toward officially pressuring China to act on Darfur. The Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution introduced by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) that would officially call on China to use its "unique influence and economic leverage" with the Sudanese regime to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur.

The resolution, which was slightly modified in committee from the original version, is available here (in the form of an amendment):

http://menendez.senate.gov/pdf/SRes203.pdf


"The Senate is on its way toward sending a strong, official message to Beijing and Khartoum," said Menendez. "China has a very hands-on approach to making money off of the Sudanese regime but a very hands-off approach when it comes to the genocide and human suffering in Darfur. The Chinese government is in a unique position to leverage its close relationship with Khartoum into action on Darfur. China is hosting the Olympics next year, and it has a responsibility to live up to the Olympic spirit of peace."

"The government of China should be using its economic leverage to end the atrocities committed by the Sudanese government," said Brownback. "Instead, China has chosen to strengthen its military and economic ties with Khartoum. The United States must send a clear message to China that the United States condemns the ongoing genocide in Sudan as well as those who do business with the genocidal regime in Khartoum."

Background

The resolution points out that the government of China "has long-standing economic and military ties with Sudan and continues to strengthen these ties in spite of the on-going genocide in Darfur." For example, China purchases at least 70 percent of Sudan's oil and has reportedly cancelled approximately $100 million in debt owed by the Sudanese government. China also recently provided funds for a presidential palace in Sudan at a reported cost of approximately $20 million. In addition, the human rights organization Amnesty International recently accused China and Russia of selling weapons to Sudan that are used in violence in Darfur.

The measure calls on China to urge Sudan to allow the entry of the U.N. sanctioned peacekeeping force and to comply with U.N. resolutions demanding that the Government of Sudan disarm militias operating in Darfur. It also calls on China to join the international community in threatening sanctions on the Sudanese government if it continues to carry out or support attacks on innocent civilians or to frustrate diplomatic efforts to end the violence.

The resolution comes as Chinese preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are heavily underway. The resolution recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics is "incompatible with any actions, directly or indirectly, supporting acts of genocide."

# # #