Sino Evil, Speak No Evil

Apparently I just can't stop writing about China. Or coming up with puns for titles about China (see above). Anyway, I haven't written much these past few days because I am not a freakin' superhero and I need to pass my classes before Columbia kicks me out for not dressing like a douchebag as is the MO around here. I just wanted to point you in the direction of a few stories that should help us all understand why China is against sanctioning Iran, against stopping genocide in Darfur and against interfering with human rights abuses across the Middle East and North Africa.

OIL.

Just a few years ago China produced more oil than it used, but today it must import petroleum to meet it's ever-growing energy needs. Finding the US and Europe too meddlesome in their affairs, many volatile countries have chosen to point their pipelines east and just sell to China instead. With oil at $75 a barrel and no responsible energy policy in sight, it is a seller's market, and when you look at where oil comes from, that is a really scary thought.

If you have Times Select or subscribe, be sure you ahve read Nicholas Kristof's column from yesterday. Unsurprisingly, he provides a very convincing account of the relationship between China and Sudan.