[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 203 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 203

Calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to use its 
unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in 
                             Darfur, Sudan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2007

Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Lautenberg, 
Mr. Casey, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Dole, Ms. Collins, and Mr. 
  Dodd) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to use its 
unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in 
                             Darfur, Sudan.

Whereas since the conflict in Darfur, Sudan began in 2003, hundreds of thousands 
        of people have been killed and more than 2,500,000 displaced as a result 
        of the ongoing and escalating violence;
Whereas on July 23, 2004, Congress declared, ``the atrocities unfolding in 
        Darfur, Sudan, are genocide'' and on September 23, 2004, then Secretary 
        of State Colin Powell stated before the Committee on Foreign Relations 
        of the Senate that, ``genocide has occurred and may still be occurring 
        in Darfur,'' and ``the Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear 
        responsibility'';
Whereas on October 13, 2006, the President signed the Darfur Peace and 
        Accountability Act (Public Law 109-344), which identifies the Government 
        of Sudan as complicit with the forces committing genocide in the Darfur 
        region and urges the President to, ``take all necessary and appropriate 
        steps to deny the Government of Sudan access to oil revenues'';
Whereas President George W. Bush declared in a speech delivered on April 18, 
        2007, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that no one ``can 
        doubt that genocide is the only word for what is happening in Darfur--
        and that we have a moral obligation to stop it'';
Whereas the presence of approximately 7,000 African Union peacekeepers has not 
        deterred the violence and the increasing attacks by the Government-
        sponsored Janjaweed militia and rebel groups.
Whereas the Government of Sudan continues to refuse to allow implementation of 
        the full-scale peacekeeping mission authorized under United Nations 
        Security Council Resolution 1706;
Whereas former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan subsequently 
        negotiated a compromise agreement with the Government of Sudan for a 
        hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission to be 
        implemented in three phases;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has long-standing 
        economic and military ties with Sudan and continues to strengthen these 
        ties in spite of the on-going genocide in Darfur, as evidenced by the 
        following actions:

    (1) China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil;

    (2) China currently has at least $3,000,000,000 invested in the 
Sudanese energy sector, for a total of $10,000,000,000 since the 1990s;

    (3) Sudan's Joint Chief of Staff, Haj Ahmed El Gaili, recently visited 
Beijing for discussions with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gang Chuan and 
other military officials as part of an eight-day tour of China; Cao pledged 
closer military relations with Sudan, saying that China was ``willing to 
further develop cooperation between the two militaries in every sphere'';

    (4) China has reportedly cancelled approximately $100 million in debt 
owed by the Sudanese Government; and

    (5) China is building infrastructure in Sudan and provided funds for a 
presidential palace in Sudan at a reported cost of approximately 
$20,000,000;

Whereas given its economic interests throughout the region, China has a unique 
        ability to positively influence the Government of Sudan to abandon its 
        genocidal policies and to accept United Nations peacekeepers to join a 
        hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission;
Whereas the President's Special Envoy to Sudan, Andrew S. Natsios, further said 
        in testimony on April 11, 2007, that ``China's substantial economic 
        investment in Sudan gives it considerable potential leverage, and we 
        have made clear to Beijing that the international community will expect 
        China to be part of the solution'';
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has previously 
        influenced the Government of Sudan to take steps toward reducing 
        violence and conflict by--

    (1) abstaining from, and choosing not to obstruct, several important 
votes in the United Nations Security Council on resolutions related to 
Sudan, including Resolution 1556, which demanded Sudan disarm militias in 
Darfur, and Resolution 1706, which called for the deployment of additional 
United Nations peacekeepers, including up to 17,300 military personnel and 
up to 3,300 civilian police;

    (2) helping to facilitate the Addis Ababa framework reached on November 
16, 2006, which provides for a joint United Nations-African Union 
peacekeeping force;

    (3) sending high-level delegations, including Chinese President Hu 
Jintao, to Sudan, and encouraging President Bashir to show flexibility and 
allow the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force to be 
deployed;

    (4) making frequent public statements that the Government of Sudan must 
carry out agreements made within the Addis Ababa framework of November 2006 
to admit United Nations peacekeepers to join the United Nations-African 
Union peacekeeping force in Darfur;

    (5) pledging to provide military engineers to support African Union 
peacekeeping forces in Darfur; and

    (6) announcing on May 10, 2007, the appointment of a senior diplomat as 
China's special representative on African affairs who is to focus specific 
attention on the Darfur issue.

Whereas due to its vast population, its rapidly growing global economy, its 
        large research and development investments and military spending, its 
        seat as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and on 
        the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, China is an emerging power that 
        is increasingly perceived as a leader with significant international 
        reach and responsibility;
Whereas in November 2006, China hosted its third Forum on China-Africa 
        Cooperation with more than 40 heads of state in attendance and which 
        focused heavily on trade relations and investment on the African 
        continent as it is expected to double by 2010;
Whereas China is preparing to host the Olympic Summer Games of 2008, the most 
        honorable, venerated, and prestigious international sporting event;
Whereas China should be held accountable to act consistently with the Olympic 
        standard of preserving human dignity in Darfur, Sudan and around the 
        world; and
Whereas China has been reluctant to use its full influence to improve the human 
        rights situation in Darfur: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the close relationship between China and 
        Sudan and strongly urges the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China to use its full influence to--
                    (A) urge the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, to 
                allow a robust peacekeeping force as described in 
                United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706;
                    (B) call for Sudanese compliance with United 
                Nations Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1564, and 
                the Darfur Peace Agreement, all of which demand that 
                the Government of Sudan disarm militias operating in 
                Darfur;
                    (C) call on all parties to the conflict to adhere 
                to the 2004 N'Djamena ceasefire agreement and the 
                recently-agreed United Nations communique which commits 
                the Sudanese Government to improve conditions for 
                humanitarian organizations and ensure they have 
                unfettered access to the populations they serve;
                    (D) emphasize that there can be no military 
                solution to the conflict in Darfur and that the 
                formation and implementation of a legitimate peace 
                agreement between all parties will contribute toward 
                the welfare and stability of the entire nation and 
                broader region;
                    (E) urge all rebel groups to unify and assist all 
                parties to come to the negotiating table in good faith;
                    (F) urge the Government of southern Sudan to play a 
                more active role in pressing for legitimate peace talks 
                and take immediate steps to support and assist in the 
                revitalization of such talks along one single 
                coordinated track;
                    (G) engage collaboratively in high-level diplomacy 
                and multilateral efforts toward a renewed peace 
                process; and
                    (H) join the international community in imposing 
                economic and other consequences on the Government of 
                Sudan if that Government continues to carry out or 
                support attacks on innocent civilians and frustrate 
                diplomatic efforts; and
            (2) recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to 
        bring together nations and people from all over the world in 
        peace, is incompatible with any actions, directly or 
        indirectly, supporting acts of genocide.
                                 <all>