Posted on 07/24/2011 8:13:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
China formally recognized the new state of South Sudan on Saturday, 10 days after Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir left the Chinese capital after signing agreements on 'economic and technical cooperation.' Coming on the heels of a senior Chinese diplomat's visit to the Libyan rebel capital of Benghazi on Thursday, it highlights China's peculiar relationship with unpopular and embattled leaders.
China has been at the receiving end of international criticism for its relationship with Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur. It has also clashed with the United States and European powers over Libya, where China has been a vocal critic of NATO's bombing campaign. But over the past few weeks, China has tacked toward supporting regime change, recognizing that the opposition 'has become more representative by the day and is becoming an important political force,' as the FT reported. US diplomats have recently spoken positively about China's involvement in Sudan.
China has a reputation as a patron of the world's misbehaving leaders, from giving Iran's nuclear programme cover at the United Nations to its continued economic support of North Korea's Kim Jong-il and the military junta in Burma. In Iran and Burma, like Sudan, policy may be driven by China's ongoing quest for supplies of natural resources, as Chinese oil companies have won favourable contracts in countries under embargo from Western powers.
Having repeatedly been on the receiving end of international human rights criticism, its leaders also have reason to sympathize with leaders like Bashir and Gaddafi...
(Excerpt) Read more at sudanvisiondaily.com ...
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