Sudanese president meets with China's special envoy
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March 31, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Chinese special envoy for Africa,
Zhong Jianhua, held talks on Monday with Sudanese president Omer
Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum that tackled bilateral relations and
regional issues.
JPEG - 89.7 kb
Chinese special envoy for Africa Zhong Jianhua (L) during a meeting
with Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (R) in Khartoum on 31
March 2014 (SUNA)
"We have great confidence that the relations are progressing in a
better and excellent way and developing in all fields in order to
serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples," Jianhua was quoted
as saying.
He expressed appreciation for Sudan's efforts to protect Chinese
workers in oilfields and hailed Sudan's positive attitude towards the
situation in South Sudan.
The Chinese official also said that the meeting touched on the
economic cooperation between the two sides.
Bashir for his part conveyed the satisfaction of his country over
China's positions in support of Sudan in regional and international
forums, expressing hope that the relations between the two countries
will serve as a model in all areas.
In a related issue the Sudanese oil minister, Mohammed Awad Makkawi,
said that his recent visit to China was successful, during which they
reached an agreement on increasing oil production in the country and
resolving the issue of debt owed by the Sudanese government to Chinese
companies.
The finance minister Sudanese Badr al-Deen Mahmoud who accompanied
Makkawi said that they also agreed on transit fees for oil companies
in the range of $20 a barrel, which amounts to $600 million a year to
the Sudanese government.
Mahmoud also disclosed that the Export-Import Bank of China agreed to
allow Khartoum to continue drawing money as part of a loan granted to
the Blue Nile Sugar project. He added that they also agreed to hold
meetings of the joint committee in November to promote economic
cooperation between Sudan and China.
China has been Sudan's largest foreign investor particularly in oil
and telecommunications after western firms shunned the East African
nation due to conflicts and sanctions.
But a report by Reuters last year cited growing difficulties facing
Chinese investments as a result of the deteriorating economy.
China's exports and imports to and from Sudan, which totalled $11.5
billion in 2011, amounted to just $3.3 billion in the January-November
period of 2012, Reuters said, quoting official Chinese data.
The drop in oil trade accounted for much of that decline. But even
while the oil industry has been shut down trade has continued to fall.
In the first five months of 2013, Chinese exports to Sudan fell 8%
from a year earlier to $1.7 billion, the data shows.
Sudan has seen its economy take a nosedive after the south became
independent in July 2011, taking with it three-quarters of the once
united country's oil output.
According to figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the
country's GDP contracted by 4.4% in 2012.
The World Economic Outlook (WEO) released last October by the IMF
projected Sudan's economy to grow by 3.9% in 2013 and 2.5% in 2014.
The Sudanese pound has lost more than half its value, pushing
inflation rates to record levels given that the East African nation
imports most of its food.
(ST)
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