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Chinese Darfur envoy visits Sudan Sudan 'renews Darfur air strikes'
(about 5 hours later)
The Chinese special envoy for Darfur has arrived in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, for a five-day visit. The Sudanese military is said to have renewed its aerial bombing campaign in the west of the Darfur region.
The visit of Liu Guijin comes amid mounting pressure on Beijing to use its influence on the Sudanese government to end the conflict in the western region. The joint United Nations African Union mission in Sudan, Unamid, said it had received reports of aerial bombings in the Jebel Moun area of the region.
A Unamid spokesman said there was grave concern for the safety of thousands of civilians in the area.
The reports came China's envoy for Darfur, Liu Guijin, began a five-day visit to the country to push for peace.
China has come under increasing pressure to use its influence with Sudan to end the fighting.
Mr Liu will travel to Darfur on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict which has left 200,000 people dead and 2.5m homeless.Mr Liu will travel to Darfur on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict which has left 200,000 people dead and 2.5m homeless.
Correspondents say China wants to show it is playing a positive role in Sudan. 'Ready to help'
It has long had strong trade and military links with Khartoum, which is accused of backing militias that have raped and murdered civilians in Darfur. In a joint news conference with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Deng Alor, Mr Liu stressed the importance of Darfur to Beijing.
Mr Liu's visit was announced just days after film director Steven Spielberg pulled out as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics, saying China was not doing enough to end the humanitarian crisis in the troubled Sudanese region. "My message to the media and to the world is that the Chinese government and people are ready to help Sudan and to help the international community to find the solution of the Darfur issue", he said.
Mr Spielberg said his conscience would not allow him to continue in the role.
'Open role'
Speaking on arrival at Khartoum's airport on Sunday morning, Mr Liu said that during his visit he would discuss with the Sudanese President Omar Bashir and his government a permanent solution to the problems in Darfur.
China's devotion to solving the Darfur issue is for the sake of peace, rather than for expediency Liu GuijinChinese special envoy for Darfur
"What China is pursuing is to realise peace in Darfur as soon as possible, and to help Sudan achieve stability and development as soon as possible," he told the Xinhua news agency.
"China's devotion to solving the Darfur issue is for the sake of peace, rather than for expediency," he added.
Mr Liu said China would play an open role in helping to solve the conflict and would support any proposal or measure that would be conducive to a settlement.
The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Khartoum says Beijing is keen to show it is playing a positive role in the region - this week it will provide $11m (£5.6m) of humanitarian assistance.The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Khartoum says Beijing is keen to show it is playing a positive role in the region - this week it will provide $11m (£5.6m) of humanitarian assistance.
Arms supply China has long had strong trade and military links with Khartoum, which is accused of backing militias that have raped and murdered civilians in Darfur.
Activists have accused China of helping to arm pro-Khartoum militia against Darfur's rebel groups, but Mr Liu told the BBC on Friday that only 8% of weapons imported by Sudan came from China in 2006 and insisted it was not fuelling the conflict.Activists have accused China of helping to arm pro-Khartoum militia against Darfur's rebel groups, but Mr Liu told the BBC on Friday that only 8% of weapons imported by Sudan came from China in 2006 and insisted it was not fuelling the conflict.
The UN mission to Darfur, Unamid, began deploying in January
"There are seven countries selling arms to Sudan. So even if China stopped its sale, it still won't solve the problem of arms in Sudan," he said."There are seven countries selling arms to Sudan. So even if China stopped its sale, it still won't solve the problem of arms in Sudan," he said.
Mr Liu also said he would advise Sudan to co-operate on the deployment of the new UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur. Mr Liu is also expected to push Sudan to co-operate on the deployment of more UN-African Union peacekeepers.
The UN mission to Darfur, Unamid, began deploying in January but the force still lacks most of the 26,000 personnel planned for the mission. The force began deploying in January but it still lacks most of the 26,000 personnel planned for the mission.
He said that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China had been asked to help find a long-term solution to the Darfur issue, but that it had done so with respect for Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese envoy's visit was announced just days after film director Steven Spielberg pulled out as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics, saying China was not doing enough to end the humanitarian crisis in the troubled Sudanese region.
Mr Spielberg said his conscience would not allow him to continue in the role.