China's economic development continues apace, thanks in part to to the oil it buys from crisis-ridden Sudan. Or is it that the crisis in Sudan continues, thanks in part to energy-hungry China? By Taylor Maltz
From October 2005
It seems that all eyes in the international community are fixed on China’s recent economic success. Some companies are competing to invest in China, while others are trying to protect their current markets at home. China has been fighting battles with the United States government and the European Union over textile imports. Many producers in America and Europe cannot afford to compete with China on cost and have gone to their respective governments for help. In addition to affecting developed economies, Chinese influence is spreading to places in Africa and Latin America where economic advances come at a cost to regional interests. Specifically, Chinese oil companies are doing a great deal of business in Sudan despite the fact that many Western nations have pulled out of the country, citing humanitarian concerns. China is now one of the major players in the African economy. Beijing’s willingness to look past humanitarian crises for the sake of trade protracts conflict in the region. The international community must focus attention not only on China’s economic success, but the problems that Chinese foreign policy is causing in Africa, especially Darfur. To understand this issue, it is important that we look at the conflict in Darfur itself, the US response, and finally where China fits into the picture.
Since February 2003, a government sponsored militia known as the Janjaweed has been devastating the Darfur region of Sudan. The militia, which was took up arms to stop political and economic marginalization, has engaged in a calculated rape and slaughter of the citizens in Darfur. It has been estimated that 400,000 people have died due to violence, starvation and disease. More than 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 200,000 have fled across the border to Chad. On September 14, 2005, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell argued that the extreme violence in the Darfur region warranted the use of the term “genocide.” Powell’s statement marked the first use of the term “genocide” by a US official since the adoption of the UN Genocide Convention in 1948, a document that compels UN member states to intervene in cases of mass extermination of an ethnic group. Nevertheless, the international community has been hesitant to provide any interference.
Sudan was amongst President Bush’s highest priorities when he entered the office. Government leaders rallied for support and argued for the intervention in Sudan. September 11, however, forced the Administration to relegate Sudan to the backburner. Acting opportunistically, the Sudanese government, led by Omar al Bashir’s National Congress Party, immediately expelled all terrorists from Sudan and actively shared intelligence information with the United States in an attempt to create a political alliance with America that both sides could benefit from in the War on Terror. This informal alliance made the US government hesitant to do anything that would negatively impact relations with Sudan, especially since Sudan was home to Osama bin-Laden in the 1990s. Congress chose not to act due to strategic concerns.
So where does China fit in to this disaster? Simply put, China is Sudan’s largest trading partner. China National Petroleum Corp is laying claim to 40% of all the extracted oil in the region. Furthermore, to ensure influence in the region, China started building a pipeline in 1999 so that the Sudanese could benefit from the oil extracted from the region. China is trying to create a strong alliance based on economic need. As China continues to grow as a manufacturing economy, it is becoming more dependent on natural resources, such as the oil found in Sudan. The poor economic conditions in Sudan and the increasing political isolation from the West make the Sudanese government more than happy to accept the monetary and political benefits of cooperation with the Chinese government and Chinese companies.
The close ties between China and Sudan present a problem for the United Nations. Many political leaders in the United States and Europe have joined non-governmental organizations and humanitarian aid groups calling for more to be done to stop the situation in Darfur. The United Nations Security Council, however, has no ability to pass a resolution because China has publicly threatened to veto any resolutions. Their motivation is clear: they want to prevent any action that will hinder their acquisition of oil from the region.
Sudan is not the only country in experiencing the power of China. Corporations from China have made a concentrated effort to expand across Africa. While Chinese officials argue that are contributing to development, they are in some cases, causing more harm. Chinese companies are working secretly with the governments of these African countries. Private interaction increases the already rampant corruption in Africa, which enable governments to act independent of the citizen’s needs. While this is a common trait in Africa, it is particularly harmful for Sudan because the government sponsors the Janjaweed. Not only do the militias receive monetary aid, but the weapons produced during the civil war (which reach a peace agreement just this year with US aid) in Sudan, were all assembled in Chinese factories.
Chinese interaction with Africa further escalated in 2000 when China established the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (CACF). China has made investments in over 40 African countries, many of which are oil producing. Africa has become China’s third largest trading partner. While China is expanding all over Africa, in order to meet their increasing energy needs, the Chinese are receiving 12 per cent of their total oil needs from Sudan. The financial needs of Sudan and the energy needs of China combine to form an almost impenetrable alliance.
The Sudanese people are experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises of all time. The government sponsors militias that rape, torture, and murder citizens in the most unexplainable, inhumane fashions. The United States has had an embargo on the region since the Clinton administration, and has continued to pressure the government. The Canadians have removed all oil companies from the region because of internal pressure. The Chinese, however, are merely capitalizing on the open markets, ignoring these atrocities. The Sino-Sudanese alliance has provided al-Bashir with financial resources and the ability to stand up to the West. Instead of looking up in marvel at economic growth, the international community needs to look down at China’s role in Darfur.
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