DENVER—Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff plans to use an upcoming visit to China to press officials there to end support for Sudan because of the genocide in its Darfur region.
Romanoff will leave Saturday for Beijing with 24 other young, political leaders as part of a fellowship backed by the Aspen Institute. Romanoff said Tuesday the bipartisan delegation will meets with members of China’s foreign ministry and visits the sites of next year’s Olympics and he plans to discuss his views on Sudan.
China imports two-thirds of Sudan’s oil and has opposed harsh measures against Sudan over the Darfur conflict.
Romanoff said he would also talk to other fellowship members to see if they could find a way to be more “persuasive” but he declined to provide details.
“I figured if you’re in Beijing and in a position to make a difference, you should use that opportunity,” Romanoff said.
The Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship will pay for the trip. The program’s director, former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards, said the purpose of the trip is to help emerging political leaders learn more about China. He said the program wasn’t encouraging Romanoff to speak out on Darfur and, if he did, he would be acting on his own.
The group plans to also hold meetings with environmentalists, human rights advocates, business leaders and Americans doing business in China, Edwards said. The group will also visit India.
This year Colorado joined a growing number of states and universities in divesting from companies that do business in Sudan, a move which was backed by Romanoff.
