Disregarding the Chinese influence for the moment, what you have failed to take into account is the Mbeki and Mugabe are not only fellow travellers, but also related in marriage - they also have major diamond interests in a venture in the D.R.C.

Another point that whilst Mandela did the whole 10 yards in Robbens, Mbeki was being feted and educated by a west that had turned again a brutal Apartheid regime and many people who supported the A.N.C. - a proscribed terrorist group - are now surprised that what they have done is replace a bunch of white thugs - with an equally evil and incompetent black thugs - while the so called AA and BEE is not only stupid - but equally racist as apartheid white rule.

But hey - that is not true because racism only applies to white - never against blacks - where the politically term is "tribalism"

Expediency has never been a particularly attractive political stance, but it is nevertheless a major player in world disasters, big and small.

It's easy to slag off the Chinese right now for their forays into areas of until-recently-neglected foreign policy. They are indeed a little clumsy occasionally, and often unaware of the possible reaction of other interested parties.

But before attributing a great deal of weight to the delivery of arms to an oppressive regime, consider the vast array of similar trading incidents conducted by the United States, Britain, France...

It's much the same attitude as we take to their industry. The "West" built itself up on the back of cheap labour and profligate energy use. Suddenly, when China and India move along an identical path, we throw up our hands in collective horror.

How could they? Shocking.

Sometimes it isn't going to be pretty, and there is no real excuse for delivering bullets to a government so obviously intent on oppressing its people.

But there aren't many countries with sufficiently clean hands to make a convincing protest.

For anyone who wants more background, go to the earlier version of the article on my blog (links on the article) where I have pointers to source material. I didn't include these in this version because I haven't had time to verify that the links were all good.

Caligula, we should get away from convenient labels like "racism" and "colonialism" and get back to basics. Is a government that murders its own people in large numbers evil? Obviously. As for Mbeki, who knows what motivates him. I have a PhD in computer science, not psychology. All I can say is that any society needs many layers of checks and balances to avoid this kind of meltdown. Zimbabwe had some (reasonably independent higher courts, reasonably strong trade unions, moderately strong human and civil rights movements, citizens willing to speak out, a few independent newspapers) but clearly not enough.

The more important question is: what are we going to do about it? Kevin Rudd is proposing extending the existing sanctions, the main effect of which has been to shift Mugabe out of a Rolls-Royce into a top of the line Merc. What we really need to do is to put effective pressure on his backers. Rudd should be on the phone to the Chinese leadership telling them that he will not be at the Olympics opening if they don't support effective moves through the UN against Zimbabwe. Mbeki should be given a sharp push in that direction too.

Zimbabwe as it stands now will only be fixed by a large-scale intervention of peacekeepers, equipped to stop mob rule, which is what it has descended to.

The only other alternative is a total melt-down. Aside from the people of Zimbabwe, those most directly effected are in neighbouring countries. So exactly why Mbeki thinks he can get away with doing less than nothing is anyone's guess. I can't explain it. Even his otherwise not so salubrious heir-apparent Jacob Zuma knows better.

Why would a wise and knowledgable man/woman trust China to behave in any respect?
She's without doubt bent on global control...this is why she builds her great armies.
Ive got visions and prophecies from the christian churches going back to the mid-70's showing an invader moving down into northern India, into South East Asia, down into Australasia and into Australia as far south as Byron Bay, NSW and North West Cape, WA.
Theres little doubt in my mind that this is the great asian confederacy army known as the kings of the east (click on kings of the east) that is spoken about in Johns Revelation at the back of the Bible.
The 1,000 Chinese spies that Chen Yonglin spoke about I believe are here for that invasion as well.
Kevin Rudd needs to keep away from China lest a corridor open between Australia and China and more manipulation by China occurs which gives them more advantage on invasion day.
Its worth observing that God may just allow the invader because of the sins of the people.
Every revelation I came acorss spoke about our sin in some way or other showing just how much christian revival is needed to avert the Judgment.

what pericles said.

I don't agree with Gibo,still a little light relief helps,I,m mean what can you say