1. Political Relations
China established diplomatic relations with Sudan on February 4, 1959. The relationship between the two countries is friendly. The government of Sudan attaches importance to developing relations with China. On the Taiwan question, it persistently sticks to its one China policy and opposes Taiwan's "return" to the United Nations. During President Bashir's visit to China in September 1995, the Sino-Sudanese Friendship Association was establishment and Wuhan and Khartoum became twining cities. The two countries also signed agreement on mutual exemption of visa for diplomatic and service passport holders. In 1997, the two countries signed an agreement on the periodical political consultation mechanism between Foreign Ministries of the two countries. Such consultation has been held twice so far. President Jiang Zeming met President Al-Bashir during the 2000 UN Heads of State Meeting to mark the millennium. In Nov., 2000, Vice Premier Wu Bangguo had meetings with President Al-Bashir and the First Vice President Taha during his visit to Sudan.
Important bilateral exchange of visits:
Chinese Officials
1964 Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Chen Yi
1978 Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress Wu Lanfu
1984 President Nimeri
1984 Vice Premier Li Peng
1984 Speaker of the Parliament Saeed
1987 Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of NPC Wang Renzhong
1990 Chairman of the Salvation Revolution Command Council Bashir
1993 Foreign Minister Sahloul
1994 Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen
1995 Deputy Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei
1996 President's Special Envoy and Foreign Minister Taha
1997 First Vice President Al-Zubeir
1998 Assistant Foreign Minister Ji Peiding
1999 Government Special Envoy and Minister of Land and Resource Zhou Yongkang
2000 Vice Premier Wu Bangguo
In August 2002, Ma Wenpu, Deputy Director of the Department of International Liaison of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, paid a transit visit to the Sudan.
Sudanese Officials
1964 Chairman Abboud
1984 Speaker of the Parliament Saeed
1987 Prime Minister Sadiq
1994 Foreign Minister Abu-Salih
1995 President Al-Bashir
1998 President's Special Envoy and Minister of Energy and Resources Al-Jaz
1999 Foreign Minister Mustafa
2000, Foreign Minister Mustafa, Minister of Energy and Resources Al-Jae, Minister of Culture and Information , Minister of National Defence, Minister of Roads and Communications, and Minister of Justice .
In April 2002, Tidjeni, Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, visited China.
In September 2002, Teqna, Sudanese Minister of International Cooperation, visited China.
2. Economic Trade relations and economic and technological cooperation
The trade between the two countries develops smoothly. China has provided certain amount of economic aid to Sudan since 1970. In recent years, Sino-Sudanese trade volume has been increasing steadily. The total volume of trade between China and the Sudan in 2001 was US$1,158,000,000. The mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Sudan started in 1981 and the value of completed transactions amounted to US$1,400 million up to now. The two countries have economic and technological cooperation in fields like mineral resources exploration, construction, roads and bridges building, agriculture, textile, medical treatment and education etc.
The oil cooperation between China and Sudan began in 1995, which included cooperation under the economic aid by the Chinese government and mutually beneficial cooperation both undertaken by China Oil and Gas (Group) Corporation. The oil cooperation projects are progressing smoothly at present. They were completed and began to produce oil at the end of June 1999. The Khartoum, Oil Refinery jointly built by China and Sudan was completed and went into operation in May, 2000. The Polypropylene Project in the Sudan went into successful operation in January 2002. And the construction of the Sudanese Jili Combined Cyclical Power Station, overall contracted by the Harbin Power Station Engineering Co., Ltd. of China, officially started in January 2002.
3. Cultural, technical, educational and military exchanges and cooperation
Cultural exchanges between the two countries started even before the establishment of diplomatic relations. In the 1970's, China’s Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe helped Sudan to train a large number of acrobats and to form the Sudan Acrobatic Troupe. This troupe is praised as "the flower of Sino-Sudanese friendship" by the Sudanese people and has become a quite influential art troupe in Africa. In the past few years, the major cultural exchanges between the two countries include China Art (acrobat and puppet) Troupe's visit to Sudan in 1995, Chinese Handicraft Exhibition in Sudan in 1997, In July 2002, the Sha'nxi Acrobatic Troupe visited the Sudan. Sudan Minister of Information and Culture Sebdlat's visit to China in 1994, the Sudan National Singing and Dancing Troupe's visit to China in 1994 and the famous Sudanese painter Leot's exhibition in China in 1995, In 2001 there were 28 Sudanese students studying in China.
China began to accept Sudanese students to study in China in 1960 and has accepted 341 Sudanese students by 1997. There are 62 Sudanese students studying in China at present .
China has sent 22 batches of medical teams to Sudan since 1971. At present 36 Chinese medical workers are serving in Sudan.
