Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in China yesterday for talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), as the US and human rights groups criticized Beijing for hosting an alleged war criminal.
Bashir’s presidential plane touched down in Beijing early in the morning, a day later than planned — after Sudan’s foreign ministry said it was forced to choose a “new route” while flying over Turkmenistan.
The unexplained change in plans has forced an overhaul of Bashir’s schedule, but not a cancellation of talks with Hu nor a red-carpet welcome at the Great Hall of the People for a man who is unwelcome in many countries around the world.
Bashir is wanted by the -International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity that occurred in Sudan’s western Darfur region, where about 300,000 people have died since 2003.
China is a key supporter of the Sudanese leader, who was the first sitting head of state targeted by an ICC arrest warrant.
Bashir’s meetings with Hu and other senior Chinese leaders are now set for today, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing.
“This visit is the continuation of the distinguished relations between Sudan and China, which have remained friendly and progressive,” Bashir told China’s Xinhua news agency in an interview ahead of the trip.
He hailed Beijing as a “strategic partner” and also said that China “does not intervene in the internal affairs of others.”
Beijing last week defended the visit, with foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) saying: “It’s quite reasonable for China to invite the head of a state that has diplomatic ties with China to come for a visit.”
Xinhua quoted Hong as saying leaders from the two sides would “discuss how to consolidate China-Sudan relations and expand cooperation,” as well as exchange views on the situation in Darfur and Sudan’s peace process.
Beijing is a key military supplier to the regime in Khartoum and the biggest buyer of the country’s oil, although the majority of Sudan’s oil fields are located in the south, which will become independent on July 9.
Bashir’s visit to China has sparked outrage among rights groups and earned the reproach of the US Department of State.
“We continue to oppose invitations, facilitation, support for travel by ICC indictees,” Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday.
“We have a longstanding policy of strongly urging other nations to do the same,” she said. “We have urged China to join the international community in its call for Sudan to cooperate fully with the ICC.”
ICC statutes dictate that any member country should arrest Bashir if he visits. China is not a party to those statutes, nor is the US.
Bashir arrived in China from Iran, where he attended a counter-terrorism summit, which also included the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Tajikistan.
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