Controversial visitor

China was set to welcome an accused war criminal on Monday, opening the doors to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The controversial al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Monday and was expected to depart Tuesday. In an interview with China's official state-run news service Xinhua beforehand, al-Bashir called the visit a natural extenion of strong ties between Sudan and China.

"This visit is a continuation of the distinguished relations between Sudan and China, which have remained friendly and progressive," Xinhua quoted him as saying. China has called al-Bashir's visit "quite reasonable."

China's relationship with Sudan has been a source of controversy for years, in the wake of an estimated 300,000 civil-war related deaths in Darfur. The international court has issued warrants for al-Bashier in connection with Darfur, making him the first sitting head of state wanted for war crimes by the court.