LONDON — China has emerged as a leading weapons supplier to Sudan, and the African nation's enhanced firepower is being deployed in Darfour, according to a new report.
Amnesty International said China has increased its defense and military
relations with Sudan, Iran and other human rights violators in Asia and
Africa. In a report issued on Monday, Amnesty said some of the military
platforms exported by China could have included Western components.
"China is also a major supplier of arms to Sudan and Chinese firms have
the largest foreign stake in Sudanese oil fields," the report said.
"The
Sudanese government has used increases in oil revenues — oil which China is
heavily dependent on, but also heavily invests in — to fund a military
capacity that has in turn been used to conduct war in Darfour, including
carrying out violations of international human rights and humanitarian law."
[On Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
reported record military spending in 2005, Middle East Newsline reported. The Middle East was identified as
the region with the highest increase in military spending.]
Entitled "China: Sustaining Conflict and Human Rights Abuses," the
report cited recent Chinese exports to Sudan. Amnesty said Beijing shipped
more than 220 Chinese military trucks to Khartoum in August 2005.
Amnesty said the EQ2100E6D trucks were usually fitted with diesel
engines from the U.S. firm Cummins. The United States has maintained an arms
embargo on Sudan.
"If the vehicles sighted in Sudan were fitted with Cummins engines, it
would raise serious concerns about the end-use monitoring by the U.S.
authorities of components manufactured under licence agreements in China and
destined for military equipment and military end-users," the report said.
"Most direct exports from the USA to Sudan require export license
authorization."
The report said China, which does not report arms deals, exports more
than $1 billion in weapons per year. China has often exchanged weapons for
raw material, such as oil from Sudan.
"China is the only major arms exporting power that has not signed up to
any multilateral agreements with criteria to prevent arms exports likely to
be used for serious human rights violations," Amnesty arms control
researcher Helen Hughes, said.
The report said China's largest defense companies were China North
Industries Corp., known as Norinco, as well as the military-operated China
Poly Group Corp. and Xinxing Corp. Norinco has escalated marketing efforts
in the Middle East of such products as missiles, light weapons and
munitions.
Amnesty said China has sold more than $10 million worth of pistols and
revolvers to countries that included Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. The
report said China has sold helicopters and other aircraft to Sudan.
"China is emerging as one of the world's major arms exporters," the
report said. "It is increasing its reach and influence in Asia, Africa and
Latin America, and arms sales are an integral part of the trade links it is
developing with countries in these and other parts of the world."
