Miliband in China

The Darfur crisis is likely to top the agenda during David Miliband's official visit to China.

The Foreign Secretary is expected to urge Beijing to put pressure on the government of Sudan to end the ongoing violence in the region.

China is Sudan's biggest oil customer and the principal supplier of arms to the east African nation.

A cross-party alliance of MPs and peers has asked Mr Miliband to raise the issue during his six-day visit to the emerging superpower.

More than 100 parliamentarians have signed an open letter to President Hu Jintao stressing China's "special role and responsibility" in ensuring Sudan co-operates with the planned UN-African Union military mission to Darfur.

Fighting between the Sudanese government and rebel groups has displaced 2 million people since 2003.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Chinese foreign policy is going to be one of the issues they discuss. That includes the Chinese role in Africa. It is very much one of the topics that is going to be on the agenda."

The issue of Darfur was highlighted by the resignation of Hollywood director Steven Spielberg as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics in protest at Chinese policy.

But Mr Miliband has said he opposes a boycott of the Games.

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