China says ulterior motives behind Darfur criticism

China said today day that “ulterior” motives were behind some criticism of its actions in Sudan, and that the problems there should not be linked with this summer’s Olympics in Beijing.

The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao came a day after Hollywood director Steven Spielberg’s decision to drop out as a Beijing Olympics adviser on human rights grounds.

“It is understandable if some people do not understand the Chinese government policy on Darfur, but I am afraid that some people may have ulterior motives, and this we cannot accept,” he told a regular news conference.