China "regrets" Steven Spielberg's Darfur decision

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) - China voiced its disappointment on Thursday over movie director Steven Spielberg's decision to quit his Beijing Olympics role because of China's policies in Sudan and said the Games would be a success regardless.

"We express regret," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference. "All preparation work for the Beijing Olympics is proceeding smoothly. The Chinese people are willing to work with artists from around the world with wisdom and talent and the Olympic Games will be a success."

The Hollywood director said he pulled out of his role as an artistic adviser because China was doing too little to help halt the bloodshed in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, where Khartoum-linked militia have battled rebel groups.

Nine Nobel Peace laureates also wrote to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging him to change policy towards Sudan, where China has big oil investments. Beijing has often said it is working for peace in Darfur.

China's state media accused Western countries of abusing the Olympics to pressure Beijing and said the boycotts "disgusted" Chinese people.

"Western exploitation of the Olympics to pressure China immediately provoked much disgust among ordinary Chinese people," said the Global Times, a current affairs tabloid run by the Communist Party's People's Daily.

"The vast majority of Chinese people have expressed bafflement and outrage at the Western pressure. In their view, it's absolutely absurd to place the Darfur issue, so many thousands of miles away, on the head of China."

"NOT IN OLYMPIC SPIRIT"

U.S. President George W. Bush said before a trip to Africa that he planned to attend the Beijing Olympics and viewed them as a sporting event, not a stage for expressing his views.

"I have a little different platform than Steven Spielberg, so I get to talk to President Hu Jintao. And I do remind him that he can do more to relieve the suffering in Darfur," he told BBC World News America in an interview.

Sudan said Spielberg's decision was based on "wrong information" and overlooked China's positive role in the region.

"They are playing a positive role in terms of general assistance and humanitarian assistance," said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadig.

"They have peacekeepers there as well."

Liu said Chinese companies operating in Sudan were playing a constructive role, making donations to help reconstruction and engaging in development work such as digging wells.

Beijing's Olympic organizing committee said the government was making "unremitting efforts" to resolve the Darfur crisis.