Highlights
• China’s foreign policy faces international scrutiny, causing activists to threaten a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
• China is unlikely to cave to international pressure due to its dependence on fuel and a strict adherence to a non-interventionist policy
• Activists are unlikely to bring about an international boycott of the Olympics
China aims to use the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to highlight the country’s emerging importance on the international stage; however, the Olympic limelight has caused many countries to question China’s controversial foreign policy. As China invests heavily in regions rich in natural resources, the traditional Chinese non-interventionist policy gives leverage to oppressive regimes scorned by Western powers.
The pressure will only increase in the months leading up to Beijing’s long-awaited Olympics. The refusal of Chinese leaders to impose sanctions on countries such as Burma and Iran will likely strain relations with many Western countries.
Although activists will continue to draw attention to China’s non-interventionist foreign policy in controversial countries around the world, significant changes in the relationships between China and Western nations are unlikely to occur.
Burmese Protests
During the September 2007 protests in Burma, countries around the world strengthened sanctions against the notoriously repressive country and issued strong statements of outrage over the military crackdown. The international community looked to China, as Burma’s closest ally and one of its largest trading partners, to help end the conflict (Previous Report).
However, in January 2007, China, along with Russia, vetoed a United Nation (UN) Security Council resolution that was critical of Burma’s leaders. China maintained this position in September, simply stating that the crisis was not a threat to international peace and sanctions would not be helpful.
The European Union (EU) and US have long imposed sanctions against Burma, causing their renewed sanctions to have relatively little influence during the massive civil unrest. However, China’s vested interest in Burma’s oil and offshore gas fields made it reluctant to take any steps that would potentially harm Sino-Burma relations.
Iranian Nuclear Program
China’s relationship with Iran is remarkably similar to the non-interventionist policy in Burma. During a November 13, 2007 visit from Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised China’s support of Iran’s nuclear program and boldly stated, “Enemies of the two nations should know that Iran and China are determined to improve bilateral relations and no factor can damage these friendly relations.”
President Ahmadinejad’s statement was clearly aimed at Western countries currently trying to impose sanction against Iran. Once again, despite China’s power to pass or veto additional UN sanctions on Iran, Chinese leaders have maintained their non-interventionist stance.
Additionally, China’s main importer of Iranian oil, Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, is in the process of renewing a one-year deal to purchase one million tons of fuel oil from Iran in 2008. The agreement will be signed within a few months, most likely leading China to maintain strong relations with Iran in the interim.
Olympic Diplomacy
Already, activists have used the Olympics to highlight China’s policies toward Sudan and many human rights groups have called for a boycott of the Olympics. A Darfur Olympic Torch Relay began in one cursory attempt aimed at influencing China to pressure Sudan to end the violence in the Darfur region. Another advocacy group recently began pressuring Olympic sponsors to use their influence to persuade China to change its policy toward Sudan, giving 13 of the 19 corporate sponsors a failing grade in efforts to contact the Chinese government.
However, once again China is reluctant to take any concrete steps in pressuring a key fuel provider. China is Sudan’s biggest trading partner as well as a major weapons provider, causing many to hold China responsible for the nearly 200,000 deaths and over two million displaced people in Darfur.
China does not want its long awaited “coming out party” to be marred by boycotts and international disapproval. However, in a step towards placating public outrage China recently began sending peacekeeping troops to assist the UN in Sudan. We believe in the remaining nine months leading up to the Olympics, Beijing will attempt to not only appease the international community but also quickly suppress any signs of protest within China.
Activists are likely to continue their calls for a boycott of the Olympics because of China involvement in Iran and Burma; however, the calls will likely go unheeded. Western nations will maintain close relations with China, to avoid ostracizing a country with enormous influence in these volatile regions and China will continue to import a growing amount of fuel from the Middle East and Africa to sustain its rapidly growing economy.
