China paper decries Sudan's Bashir arrest move

BEIJING (Reuters) - An international prosecutor could "pour oil on fire" by seeking to arrest Sudan's president, China's top official newspaper said, amplifying Beijing's opposition to pursuing charges of genocide in Darfur.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor asked the court on Monday to approve an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accusing him of a campaign of tribal genocide that killed 35,000 people outright and another 100,000 through "slow death" in his country's war-stricken Darfur region.

Chinese officials have voiced concerns an indictment of Bashir could derail struggling peace efforts in Darfur, and Beijing also faces threats of protests over its ties with Sudan during the Olympic Games in August,

On Thursday, the People's Daily, official newspaper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, added to criticism of the ICC.

"Don't pour oil on fire," said a commentary in the paper, adding that Darfur is "at a sensitive and crucial time."

"Alleviating this problem demands all sides exercise prudence, consult on an equal basis and strive to cooperate, not rashly push for sanctions, indictments, verdicts and even issuing arrest warrants."

China is a main investor in Sudan's oil industry and Khartoum's biggest arms supplier, but it has also sought a mediating role in securing piece in Darfur, where government-backed militia have battled rebels for five years.

On Wednesday, China gave a ceremonial send-off to 172 People's Liberation Army engineers who will join the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping operation struggling to contain strife in Darfur.

U.N. peacekeeping officials and national diplomats say privately they fear an arrest warrant against Bashir could provoke violence against the understaffed peacekeeping force or prompt Khartoum to expel all international peacekeepers in Sudan.

The ICC case could "threaten with destruction efforts for political negotiations between the Sudan government and anti-government armed forces," the Chinese commentary said.

Sudan's U.N. envoy said he was talking with Russia and China to find a way for the Security Council to freeze any ICC moves.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday his government was consulting with other Security Council members on how to respond to the ICC prosecutor's move, but added it was too early to say where those talks would lead.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ken Wills and Jerry Norton)