US-China relationship to face test with pending Sudan referendum

Contributed by Ying Jiang
Source: www.voanews.com

First of all, a little history of Sudan. Sudan is the largest African country with a conflict between its Northern government (National Congress Party, NCP) and Southern militants (Sudanese People's Liberation Army, SPLA). There will be a referendum in 2011, ie a decision (to be made by the people nominally) whether the South Sudanese want to split and become a more independent political entity.

What has happened these days is that the US congress is intensifying diplomatic actions in this respect by introducing legislature to keep the referendum on schedule. The new bill, having bipartisan support, is expected to pass into law rapidly (before 2011, obviously).

Now China figures greatly in the relationship of Sudan to the world. It is known that China buys 10% of its oil from Sudan, and supplies NCP with firearms and diplomatic support. It's a source of frustration to US diplomats and humanitarian efforts. This results in US-China diplomatic tensions, a manifestation of which being the branding of Beijing's 2008 Olympics as genocidal, a reference to conflicts Darfur then.

What US scholars and humanitarian groups speculate as of now is a mixture of optimism and wariness. While some think that US-China competition over resources/diplomatic high ground is manifest, others opined that its a good opportunity for China and the US to work together in the promotion of Africa peace, and that China would less likely hinder the progress of South Sudan independence for fear of a war destroying its economic interests in that country.