Chinese leaders have invited President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for meetings in Beijing. Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminla Court on charges of genocide and war crimes. AFP reports:
China’s foreign ministry said Thursday that President Hu Jintao and other leaders would meet Bashir on his June 27-30 visit, during which the two sides will discuss “how to consolidate our traditional friendship.”
Representative Frank Wolf, who has traveled to Sudan’s violence-torn Darfur region, said that he saw first-hand that China was supplying planes, helicopters and arms that have fueled the conflict.
“The number one supporter of the genocide in Darfur that many people are so concerned about is the Chinese government,” said Wolf, a Republican from Virginia and outspoken critic of Beijing.
“Now we find that they’re welcoming Bashir. What more do we need to know? Lives hang in the balance,” Wolf said.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur, where the United Nations says about 300,000 people have died since 2003.
