China's president supports for peace between north, south Sudan

Chinese President Hu Jintao said Wednesday that China firmly supports the peace process between the north and south of Sudan. Hu made the remark as he held talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Hu's comment was more evidence of China's determination to help resolve the Sudan issue through maintaining close communications with both the north and south. "The Chinese side has always respected the will and choice of the Sudanese people," Hu said in the meeting with al-Bashir, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a state visit. Hu said he hoped that the northern and southern sides could proceed from the fundamental interests of the nation to reach peaceful national reconciliation. He said the two sides should continue to implement the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) they signed in 2005. Hu said the two sides should observe the spirit of mutual understanding and forgiveness to properly solve their problems through dialogue and consultation and to realize good neighborly friendship, cooperation and common development. Al-Bashir said the Sudanese government wanted to maintain peace and stability between the north and south and was ready to develop a new mode of country-to-country relations with the south. Chinese Special Envoy on African Affairs Liu Guijin visited Khartoum on Saturday and received assurances from the Sudanese leadership on commitments to the peace option and implementation of the CPA. China has urged the northern and southern sides of Sudan to solve their differences through negotiations and consultations since outbreak of conflicts in the Abyei area last month. During a meeting with Liu, al-Bashir said the tension in the area would be short lived. On the Darfur issue, Hu said China was ready to maintain close communication and coordination on Darfur and other regional and international issues.