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A heinous killing of Chinese in Sudan

Condemnation can be the only response to the abduction and killing in cold blood of Chinese oil workers in Sudan. Their presence was contributing to that country's economic development. They presumably were not involved in any of the ethnic, separatist or anti-government movements challenging Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir's rule. The killings are loathsome; especially so when foreigners are unwittingly dragged into matters in which they have no part.

Who carried out the heinous crime and why is unclear. Sudan's government has blamed rebels in the troubled Darfur region, but none of the groups involved has taken responsibility. It could be that dissidents angry at China's support for General Beshir's dictatorship were the culprits. There are suggestions that detractors pushing for the leader to be extradited to The Hague to stand trial on charges of genocide were involved. No matter how worthy their cause or fervent their desire, taking the lives of innocents is despicable.

Sudan has been wracked by anti-government unrest for much of its 52 years of independence from Britain and Egypt. China well knew this when it began exploring and drilling for oil there. The same is the case in the other unstable parts of the world that Chinese companies and workers are increasingly moving into. It is because of such risks that Beijing in 2004 created a Department of External Security Affairs, which is in part charged with protecting Chinese assets and citizens working abroad.

China's search for energy sources, overseas investment by its companies and desire to get involved in global diplomacy has correspondingly put its officials, volunteers, workers and tourists at greater exposure to risk. Chinese workers have been killed by extremists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia and now Sudan; a mainland peacekeeper was shot dead during the conflict in south Lebanon in 2006; countries where Chinese nationals have been abducted for ransom include Iraq and Nigeria; and anti-Chinese protests have led to the looting of Chinese-owned factories and shops the world over. When China was isolationist, such incidents were rare; as its influence grows, they are becoming frequent.

Beijing strictly follows the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other states. This does not protect its citizens and companies beyond Chinese shores from political violence. As its foreign investment strategy gets more aggressive, so, too, will the human price it has to pay. Beijing needs to be more worldly-wise. It has to do its utmost to protect Chinese citizens and firms overseas and to ensure that the risks they face are as low as possible.

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