China urges patience on Sudan, opposes sanctions

BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) China urged the international community today to show patience with Sudan and said new sanctions would only complicate efforts to implement a UN peace plan for strife-torn Darfur.

The United States imposed unilateral sanctions on Sudan earlier this week and sought support for an international arms embargo out of frustration at Sudan's refusal to end what President George W Bush called genocide in Darfur.

''New sanctions against Sudan would only complicate the issue,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news briefing. ''China appeals to all parties to maintain restraint and patience.'' Beijing, which holds veto power on the UN Security Council, is a major investor in Sudan's oil industry, sells Khartoum weapons and has invested heavily in its infrastructure.

It also opposes sending U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur, where the United Nations estimates that fighting by government-linked militias and rebel groups has killed 200,000 people and forced 2 million more to flee their homes, without Khartoum's consent.

But Chinese officials reject criticism from human rights groups that its ties with Sudan are abetting the bloodshed. Beijing says it has been engaging the government on Darfur and encouraging it to be more flexible about accepting a UN force.

''Relevant parties are making joint efforts to win positive achievements on the Darfur issue,'' Jiang said.

Sudan has agreed in principle to the ''Annan peace plan'', which proposes sending in UN troops to bolster an African Union peacekeeping force, but has delayed implementing the package.

REUTERS PJ ND1640