China’s foreign minister in first visit to South Sudan
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In Khartoum, Yang Jiechi said Beijing would continue to support Sudan |
China’s foreign minister is to arrive in South Sudan – the first high-level visit since independence in July.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (3rd R) meets with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti (3rd L) in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 8, 2011. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker |
Yang Jiechi is expected to urge the government in Juba to develop a better relationship with Sudan.
Mr Yang expressed similar views during his talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir earlier this week.
China – which is heavily involved in Sudanese oil extraction – has been a strong supporter of Mr Bashir, despite claims of Sudan’s war crimes in Darfur.
‘Urgent solutions’
Mr Yang’s visit comes one month to the day after South Sudan became independent.
Beijing’s links to Khartoum have been strong in recent years, but the Chinese have made an effort to improve their ties with Juba too, the BBC’s James Copnall in Khartoum reports.
Last year, Sudan as a whole was the sixth largest source of oil imports of China, and now three-quarters of that oil belongs to South Sudan.
However, South Sudan has to export all its oil via the north because it has no port or refineries of its own. The two sides have so far failed to agree on transit fees, or how to share oil revenue.
The visit comes after Sudan last week released a cargo of South Sudanese oil it had blocked in a row over custom duties.
During his two-day visit to Khartoum which ended on Monday, Mr Yang urged both the north and the south to find “urgent solutions” to their outstanding differences for the sake of stability.
“We hope that Sudan and South Sudan will have good neighbourly relations based on the exchange of benefits,” he said.
He also announced a 100 million yuan ($15.6m; £9.5m) interest-free loan to Khartoum, Reuters news agency reports.
Relations between the two states remain tense.
South Sudan’s independence follows decades of north-south conflict, which ended with a 2005 peace deal.
President Kiir meets with Chinese Foreign minister Mr. Yang Jiechi
By Thomas Kenneth: Juba, South Sudan
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Sudan, China pledge to strenghten ties
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| English.news.cn 2011-08-09 10:47:31 |
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Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (1st L) meets with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (C) in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 8, 2011. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker) |
KHARTOUM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Monday and they expressed will to cement bilateral ties.
Al-Bashir said China is Sudan’s real friend and good partner. It supports Sudan in exploiting oil fields and has helped train many Sudanese talents.
Sudan is willing to establish partnership with China in the agricultural sector and enhance their cooperation in the oil domain, the president said.
He encouraged China to expand investment in Sudan and also appreciated China’s support for Sudan in international affairs.
Yang said that since the establishment of China-Sudan diplomatic ties, the two nations have cooperated with each other sincerely and produced fruitful results on the basis of mutual respect, equality and benefits.
No matter how the regional and international situations change, China will continue enhancing its friendship and cooperation with Sudan, Yang said.
He also said China would like to maintain bilateral political contacts and at the same time step up cooperation with Sudan in the fields of petroleum, agriculture and mineral resources exploration.
He added that China is also ready to encourage more capable Chinese enterprises with good reputation to invest in Sudan and hopes Sudan would provide convenience.
The two also discussed the relations between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as the Darfur issue.
Yang arrived in Khartoum on Sunday for a two-day official visit to Sudan at the invitation of his Sudanese counterpart Ali Ahmed Karti.
KHARTOUM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Ahmed Karti on Tuesday in Khartoum to discuss bilateral relations. “The regional situations currently continue to undergo profound changes but China will not change its policy of developing friendly and cooperative relations with Sudan,” Yang said. “China supports Sudan’s efforts in protecting its national sovereignty, enhancing the national reconciliation and promoting economic and social development. China appreciates Sudan’s adherence to the one China policy and support on issues of China’s core interests and major concerns,” he added. China and Sudan can jointly develop and consolidate bilateral relations by maintaining friendly exchanges at all levels, taking full advantage of political consultation mechanism between the two countries’ foreign ministries, expanding pragmatic cooperation, achieving mutual beneficial and win-win cooperation, deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of petroleum, agriculture and mineral resources exploration, and strengthening coordination and consultation on international and regional issues, Yang said. Ali Ahmed Karti, for his part, expressed Sudan’s appreciation of China’s stance towards the Sudan issue as well as aid and support to Sudan. “Despite domestic changes, Sudan will continue its endeavors to develop relations with China, enhance cooperation in the fields of petroleum, agriculture, and mining, provide more convenient and safe atmosphere for Chinese investments, and retain coordination with China on international and regional issues,” Karti said. He also reiterated Sudan’s adherence to its one China policy. Meanwhile, regarding the South Sudan issue, the Chinese foreign minister said “China always and firmly supports the peace process between north and south Sudan. China is willing to work with the international community to play an active and constructive role in promoting proper ways to solve differences between the two sides.” As for the Darfur issue, Yang said that “China has been working hard to promote efforts in properly solving the Darfur issue. China will maintain contact and coordination with Sudan to play an active role in promoting proper settlement of the Darfur issue and realizing peace and stability in the region.”Yang arrived in Khartoum on Sunday on an official visit to Sudan at the invitation of Karti.
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