Sudan woos Chinese investment in mining, agriculture
August 24, 2013, 6:10 am

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi had earlier on Thursday met Karti in Beijing to discuss ties [Xinhua]

“The two sides will further cooperation in such fields as agriculture and mining”, Karti said in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi had earlier on Thursday met Karti in Beijing to discuss ties.

Regarding the tense relationship between Sudan and South Sudan, Karti said he has seen positive signs of policies from its oil-rich neighbor.

“Over the past weeks, China has done a lot to help defuse the tension between Khartoum and Juba”, Karti said in an interview with Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Sudan had earlier asked China to mediate between the two countries as Khartoum repeatedly accused Juba of supporting the “Sudanese Revolutionary Front” (SRF), a rebel alliance that in April staged an attack on central Sudan.

China’s special representative on African Affairs Zhong Jianhua has been active in mediations to prompt Sudan to postpone its planned shutdown of a pipeline for South Sudan’s oil exports.

Sudan had threatened to shut down an oil pipeline from South Sudan, the sole channel for it’s oil exports, owing to its alleged support to the SRF.

South Sudan boasts proven oil reserves amounting to 7 billion barrels and the export of hydrocarbons accounts for 98 per cent of the country’s budget.

The country is landlocked and depends on Sudan’s ports for crude export.

Khartoum has now decided to postpone the deadline until 6^th September.

China has a major stake in oil industries in both countries, as state-owned firm China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) would be adversely hit if Sudan stops passage of South-Sudanese oil.

CNPC runs the oilfields in the South with Malaysia’s Petronas and Indian firm ONGC Videsh.

South Sudan proclaimed independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011 and became the newest member of the United Nations.

When the country was separated, South Sudan took 75 per cent of Sudan’s oil with it.

China is Sudan’s main trading partner even as the nation has faced a U.S. trade embargo that was introduced in 1997 over Sudan’s human rights record.

China had granted Sudan a $700 million loan to build a new airport for the capital Khartoum in July this year.

With inputs from Agencies