Following up on this idea about the oil revenues, I know that when Talisman was there—I was at Bentiu and I was there in the fields—the reflections of Canada by the locals were very negative. They were terribly negative. I think people tried to pressure Talisman into doing more to speak to the government. Talisman refused to do so because it felt that wasn't its place. I also realize that the war was going on and it was more complicated.
But I have met with the Chinese ambassador, both the old one and the new one, as well as others, and it seems to me that having somebody like China there, which is also on the Security Council, is a very, very important thing. Canada did not have that. There was nothing that Talisman could do about that.
It seems to me that we don't want to be involved in any operation that's going to get the people on the ground in Sudan to think that we as a country don't care about human rights. I think that's what Talisman got us into. It's difficult. I know. I met with the Talisman board. It was just difficult.
But now that we're in a new day and we're kind of past the CPA, do you think there is a way in which Canada can engage the Chinese government on issues around Sudan and around Darfur? Are there ways that we could maybe get them to use their position on the Security Council to continue to open up and to continue to try to do more in Sudan, as they have done? They've been more responsible in that way--in many ways--than we have. I know that's not popular to say, but I just think that's the reality of late. Do you have any views as to how Canada might be able to influence the Chinese?