UN peacekeepers must be agreed by Sudan - China

Xinhua report via ST - excerpt:

Oct 26, 2006 (BEIJING) - China supports UN troops replacing the African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Darfur region of Sudan and holds that the peacekeeping operation must be agreed by the Sudanese government, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said here Thursday.

China is concerned over the turbulence in some parts of Sudan and the latest conditions of Sudanese people, spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference.

China has always played a positive role in UN discussions on Sudan issues and China supports the UN to play a bigger role in the Darfur issue, Liu said.

The Sudanese government has some concerns about the UN peacekeeping troops replacing AU peacekeepers, which the international community needs to solve properly, the spokesman said.

"We have been trying to persuade the government of Sudan to take a flexible attitude on relevant issues," Liu said.