China is rejecting a United Nations report that Chinese bullets were used in attacks on U.N. peacekeepers in Sudan, saying it is based on "groundless accusations."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters Thursday it was "inappropriate" for the panel to have based its findings on unconfirmed information.
The report says bullet casings were found in Darfur that had been manufactured in China and Israel. A 2005 arms embargo prohibits countries from selling weapons to Sudan unless they receive a guarantee that the arms will not be used in Darfur.
U.N. diplomats accused China on Wednesday of trying to block the publication of the report. They said there is no evidence that Beijing sent ammunition directly to Darfur, but called the attempt to suppress the report "suspicious."
China is one of Sudan's top arms suppliers, but Ma said it has "precisely" enforced the Security Council resolutions on Sudan.
The U.N. says fighting in Darfur between rebels and Sudanese-backed militias has killed about 300,000 people since 2003 and made nearly 3 million people homeless.
The Sudanese government puts the death toll at 10,000.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
