EU: CHINA'S GROWING demand for energy has led to a no-strings-attached investment programme that is funding oppressive regimes in oil-rich African nations like Sudan and Chad, according to a report adopted by the European Parliament yesterday.
Chinese arms exporters are fuelling armed conflicts in Africa, the report says, and secrecy about the export of Chinese weapons is hiding the scale of its indirect involvement in human rights abuses in Africa.
"China is responsible for significant arms transfers to conflict-ridden countries, even in violation of UN embargoes in the cases of Darfur, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," says the report.
The report's authors say that unlike the EU, which ties its investment to respect for human rights, China makes most of its investments without laying down conditions. Such investment in countries ruled by oppressive regimes encourages human rights abuses, say MEPs.
The report concedes that China has a right to seek oil and natural resources in Africa, but insists it cannot turn a blind eye to the damage being done by the nations it buys from.
China is becoming increasingly influential in Africa. The value of its trade was around $39.7 billion (€25 billion) in 2005, the last year for which statistics are available, and it is now Africa's third most important trading partner.
It started donating to sub-Saharan Africa in 2005 and has promised to double its spending by 2009. China has also promised to set up a $5 billion (€3.15 billion) development fund to encourage companies to invest in Africa.
The report says the EU must put pressure on China to suspend arms deals with "governments that are responsible for human rights violations, are involved in conflicts or on the brink of war", such as Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes, who drafted the report, said the scale of China's involvement in Africa was challenging EU-Africa relations. The EU doesn't have the influence it once had because of China's vast purchasing power: China now controls an estimated 60 to 70 per cent of Sudanese oil production. Angola is its largest oil supplier.
Ms Gomes said the EU has to develop a co-ordinated response to China's aggressive "go out" policy, which is aimed at procuring oil and other natural resources.
Bloomberg adds: The parliament urged EU leaders to consider at their June summit setting a date for the start of membership talks with Macedonia, which is heading for early elections after its government collapsed earlier this month.
In a 601-52 vote, MEPs said they hoped for the "opening of the accession negotiations before the end of 2008, which will further enhance the stability and strengthen the European prospects of the western Balkans".