WASHINGTON (AP)-- The U.S. House of Representative on Wednesday urged China to use its influence and economic leverage with Sudan to stop the violence in its Darfur region.
A resolution that passed 410-0 called on China to suspend economic ties and military sales to Sudan until Khartoum complies with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The measure, which is not binding on U.S. foreign policy, urged the Chinese to acknowledge publicly and condemn atrocities in Darfur.
Speaking ahead of the vote on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, who introduced the resolution, said that China should not view the resolution as a condemnation. But she said she believed China was in a unique position to influence Sudan.
"There is no way to sugarcoat it," she said. "China is the principal trading partner of a genocidal regime that has thumbed its nose at the international community," she said.
Rebels rose in Darfur four years ago, and more than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been made homeless in subsequent fighting involving various rebel groups and government-supported militias called the Janjaweed. A cease-fire and a peace agreement to which the government is a party have not taken hold.WASHINGTON (AP)-- The U.S. House of Representative on Wednesday urged China to use its influence and economic leverage with Sudan to stop the violence in its Darfur region.
A resolution that passed 410-0 called on China to suspend economic ties and military sales to Sudan until Khartoum complies with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The measure, which is not binding on U.S. foreign policy, urged the Chinese to acknowledge publicly and condemn atrocities in Darfur.
Speaking ahead of the vote on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, who introduced the resolution, said that China should not view the resolution as a condemnation. But she said she believed China was in a unique position to influence Sudan.
"There is no way to sugarcoat it," she said. "China is the principal trading partner of a genocidal regime that has thumbed its nose at the international community," she said.
Rebels rose in Darfur four years ago, and more than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been made homeless in subsequent fighting involving various rebel groups and government-supported militias called the Janjaweed. A cease-fire and a peace agreement to which the government is a party have not taken hold. WASHINGTON (AP)-- The U.S. House of Representative on Wednesday urged China to use its influence and economic leverage with Sudan to stop the violence in its Darfur region.
A resolution that passed 410-0 called on China to suspend economic ties and military sales to Sudan until Khartoum complies with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The measure, which is not binding on U.S. foreign policy, urged the Chinese to acknowledge publicly and condemn atrocities in Darfur.
Speaking ahead of the vote on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, who introduced the resolution, said that China should not view the resolution as a condemnation. But she said she believed China was in a unique position to influence Sudan.
"There is no way to sugarcoat it," she said. "China is the principal trading partner of a genocidal regime that has thumbed its nose at the international community," she said.
Rebels rose in Darfur four years ago, and more than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been made homeless in subsequent fighting involving various rebel groups and government-supported militias called the Janjaweed. A cease-fire and a peace agreement to which the government is a party have not taken hold..
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