Sudan delegation meets with Chinese FA Minister in Beijing to strengthen ‘historical relations’

Malik Agar, vice president of the Sovereignty Council and head of the Sudanese delegation visiting the People’s Republic of China, met with Wang Yi, Communist Party of China’s Political Bureau member and Foreign Affairs Office Director, in Beijing, on Tuesday. The meeting came on the heels of an RSF attack on Balila oilfield in West Kordofan earlier this week, jointly run by Sudan and China.

In a briefing posted on X yesterday, Agar explained that the meeting covered discussions on the security situation, the potential for investments in stable regions within Sudan, and “the historical relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them”.

The Sudanese delegation includes the Defence Minister Lt Gen Yasin Ibrahim, Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, and Dafallah El Haj, undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Agar conveyed that the Chinese FA minister pledged to continue supporting Sudan “in all fields” and to direct economic institutions to resume their operations in Sudan. He also informed the Chinese side of the Sudanese government’s commitment to safeguarding investments in the country.

The delegation expressed gratitude to China for “its support in the UN Human Rights Council and the Security Council”. They commended the strong Chinese-Sudanese relations and underscored the Sudanese government’s profound commitment to enhancing friendly relations between the two nations.

The Chinese Foreign Minister confirmed his country’s unwavering support for Sudan, adding that China “will stand by Sudan in its ordeal”, especially since Sudan is one of their most important and one of their oldest friends in Africa.

Agar further announced that “specialised meetings” concerning security and defence will take place with Chinese officials “in the near future”.

Patrick Heinisch, an economic researcher specialised in emerging markets in Africa, mentioned on X that the planned meetings include meetings with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), EXIM Bank China, as well as other Chinese companies engaged in petroleum, infrastructure, mining, and agriculture.

“China pledged its support for Sudan’s political process. Agar expressed hope for China’s help in restoring stability in Sudan and rebuilding the country.”

The Sudanese delegation requested China to leverage its influence on other nations to halt support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the economist said.

He also noted that Sudan hopes for China’s support in boosting oil production, enabling Sudan to use the revenue to settle outstanding payments to Chinese companies.

Sudan-China relations

China plays a significant role in Sudan’s energy sector, with a strong presence in oil and transportation infrastructure.

On Monday, an RSF unit briefly occupied parts of the Balila oilfield and its airport in West Kordofan. The field, that used to produce some 22,000 barrels of heavy crude oil daily, supplying the El Jeili vital oil refinery north of Khartoum. The production reportedly declined to a significant extent after the war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in mid-April.

The oilfield is run as a joint venture between Sudan and China, and is operated by Petro-Energy, a consortium between the government-owned Sudapet (five per cent shares) and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC, 95 per cent shares), which was established in September 1995.

In December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Sovereignty Council Chairperson and Commander-in-Chief of Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) Abdelfattah El Burhan, in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.

President Xi Jinping said that China and Sudan are steadfast partners “who share weal and woe”. China supports all parties in Sudan in continuously and steadily advancing the political transition through dialogue and consultation and opposes interference by external forces in Sudan’s internal affairs, according to a briefing on the meeting.