The crisis in Darfur has raged on since 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), rebelled against the Khartoum government. The rebels in Darfur sought to end the region's economic and political marginalization. In response, the Khartoum government backed Arab militias known as "Janjaweed." The Janjaweed militias committed numerous war crimes and removed millions of civilians from their land in attempts to control Darfur and remove communities that were considered disloyal.

     

Given the importance of China's financial ties to Sudan, many in the international community have expected China to play a much larger role in the Darfur peace process. Development aid from China goes directly into the hands of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party, which has been accused of war crimes relating to the Darfur crisis. Consequently, the Chinese government's practices run contrary to their ideology.

     

The Chinese government has aided the Khartoum government both militarily and economically. China's National Petroleum Corporation has invested heavily in Sudan's oil industry; Khartoum uses much of the revenue generated by this investment to purchase weapons and ammunition from China. Arming the government in Khartoum during the height of the Darfur crisis enabled the violence to continue. Advocacy groups also criticize China heavily for its role as an arms supplier to Sudan. While China says it abides by the United Nations (UN) embargo on sending weapons directly to Darfur, a panel of UN experts found that Chinese weapons are still making their way to the area. In July of 2009, the Sudan Tribune reported that the Sudanese government bought a series of WS-2 multi-launch rocket systems directly from China. China is a signatory to all the major international arms control treaties, and the Chinese government insists that it abides by them. In reality, Chinese arms have become a crutch for the Khartoum regime by providing the means for them to continue the conflict without interfering directly or obviously in Sudanese domestic politics.

     

While China has not mixed business with politics, refusing to use its economic leverage to apply pressure on the Sudanese government, it has taken some steps to participate in international attempts to mitigate the conflict. Currently, China has 768 peacekeeping troops on the ground in Sudan in the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) forces, which is more boots on the ground than all the EU countries and the United States combined (of which the United States contributes no troops police or observers). Chinese troops serve mainly on medical and engineering teams. Further, China pledged 3 million USD in aid in 2009 for the Darfur crisis. Ultimately, however, the Chinese government is adamant in its claims that it has no desire to change the political system in Sudan through its peacekeeping mission.

     

While China's official stance on Darfur is essentially the same as that of the United States and other Western powers in their desire to end the violence in Sudan and provide a stable environment for economic development. In reality, China's "hands-off policy" in Sudan threatens to destabilize the development the Chinese government desperately seeks to promote. A solution to the issue of Darfur is in the best interests of the Chinese government because of their heavy investment in Sudan. The government thus has the means to lean on Khartoum as well as the motivation to bring the conflict to a swift end. The Chinese government should consider political pressure on the Khartoum government to clean up its human rights record and bring about peace within the country as the scheduled April 2010 elections loom ahead. As an international player with strong interests in Sudan's economic and therefore political stability, China's responsibilities as a major player in Darfur are increasing. However, it seems that the Chinese government wants all the benefits of being an economic world power without any diplomatic responsibility. The Chinese government must evolve its role on the international diplomatic stage to help bring peace to Darfur.