In Africa, China Hedges Its Bets
A Discussion With Dan Morrison and David Shinn
WASHINGTON, September 16, 2010 - A major shakeup may be looming for the African state of Sudan, but China will make sure its energy supply from that country is unaffected.
Such was the conclusion drawn at an Asia Society Washington Center discussion between author Dan Morrison and Ambassador David Shinn on the upcoming Southern Sudanese independence referendum and its effect on Chinese relations.
Sudan is the sixth-largest supplier of oil to China, and Asian investors are closely monitoring developments in Sudan's south. Experts believe corporate investors like China will continue to play a significant role in the region's oil exploration, regardless of the outcome of next January’s referendum.
Morrison, whose recently published memoir The Black Nile recounts his journey up the African river, said that contrary to reported perceptions of antipathy among southern Sudanese toward China, he found on-the-ground sentiment there to be positive.
Shinn, a former US ambassador to Ethiopia, concurred that China’s presence in Sudan will not diminish in theaftermath of the referendum. Describing the Chinese as savvy diplomats, Shinn said the Chinese leadership believe the independence referendum will succeed. Indeed, the Chinese have already begun making preparations for the political wind of change: they have established a consulate in Juba and recently boosted funding for development projects in southern Sudan.
Despite these preparations, the Chinese have adopted a somewhat cautious diplomatic stance on the referendum, saying they "will accept the outcome of the referendum, but believe unity is better for Sudan."
Reported by Melanie Yip