China's Special Representative on the Darfur Issue Liu Guijin recently clarified the country's position on the crisis in Sudan at a Foreign Ministry press conference. He also addressed concerns about China's weapons' sales to Sudan and some attempts to tie China's policy in Sudan to next year's summer Olympic Games. The following are excerpts from the conference.

American actress Mia Farrow is leading a "shaming campaign" against China's policies in Sudan and the Beijing Olympics. Farrow and other critics stress that their goal is not to boycott the Beijing Olympics, but to force the Chinese Government to change its course of action in Sudan. What does the Chinese Government think about this campaign? How is it responding to such pressure?

Liu Guijin: The Chinese Government has played a responsible role in resolving the Darfur issue. We have taken many positive actions and achieved obvious results. The Sudanese Government has explicitly declared its unconditional acceptance of the third phase of the Annan Plan [proposed by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan] for the hybrid peacekeeping operation. This is attributable to the efforts of the Chinese Government. It also proves that the policy of the Chinese Government is correct. The policy has been echoed by many countries around the world, especially African and developing countries. Since this is a positive and effective policy that's producing results, why should we change it?

I have heard some noise by disharmonic voices that link the Olympic Games with the Darfur issue. They mainly come from a tiny number of media, NGOs and individuals in the West. Maybe many of them know little of the efforts made by the Chinese Government, but I'm not excluding the fact that a few individuals still are used to looking at what China has done from an ideological perspective and through the colored glasses of the Cold War era. One of the basic principles of the Olympic Games is to separate politics from sports. It's fiddle-faddle to politicize China's hosting of the Olympics, the China-Sudan relationship and normal cooperation between China and Sudan. We are confident about hosting a high-level Olympics. The governments of major Western countries have issued public statements to support the Beijing Olympics. The views of a tiny number of individuals, especially individuals hostile to China, are indeed utterly unreasonable.

China said that it would not sell weapons to countries in conflict. Didn't it consider other factors while selling weapons to Sudan? Will China send a peacekeeping force to Sudan? How did the country persuade the Sudanese Government to accept the Annan Plan's third phase?

China takes a responsible and cautious stance on weapon sales, and the quality of weapons it has sold is very limited. Chinese companies strictly observe the policies made by the Chinese Government on weapon sales. While selling weapons to Sudan, we abided by the relevant rules of the UN and other international rules and systems concerning weapons sales. China is not a major exporter of weapons. Many countries in the world, particularly some big countries, exceed China in terms of both the quantity and the scale of weapons sold.

With regard to how China persuaded Sudan to accept the third phase of Annan Plan, I'd like to say that we, from the top Chinese leaders to the officials of the Foreign Ministry, have been trying to take all possible opportunities and channels to work with the concerned parties, especially the Sudanese Government, in our own way and language. This February, President Hu Jintao visited Sudan and met with President Omar Al Bashir. The Chinese Government invited Sudanese leaders and ministers to visit China. I visited Sudan twice within two months of taking my position as China's Special Representative on the Darfur Issue. Through the exchanges of views at the meetings and talks with the Sudanese leaders, we explained to Sudan that accepting the third phase complies with the current and long-term interests of the country, because the plan is a full-fledged, widely recognized solution. I think that the Sudanese Government probably has listened to the advice of China.

The Chinese Government has promised to dispatch a 275-member multifunction engineering unit to the Darfur region to support the second phase of the Annan Plan. We will dispatch the force as early as possible according to the requirements of UN. The first phase of the Annan Plan, or the light support plan, just concluded. But according to the Sudanese Government, only 70 to 80 percent of the plan was completed. The second phase, or the heavy support plan, just started but has made no substantial progress. The third phase will be implemented when the heavy support plan has been completed at the end of the year. At that time, if the Chinese Government is required to provide a peacekeeping force, we sincerely will consider that. It's still too early to talk about it. But one thing is certain, the Chinese Government supports anything that helps bring peace in Sudan and the long-term and ultimate resolution of the Darfur issue.

Will the Chinese Government undertake other measures since the Sudanese Government has unconditionally accepted the third phase of Annan Plan? If so, what goals does China hope to achieve through these measures?

First of all, now that the Sudanese Government has accepted the third phase of Annan Plan, the UN should pass a resolution as soon as possible to recognize the hybrid peacekeeping operation. Only when the UN offers essential funds can African countries dispatch the peacekeeping force and police.