Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sudan on February 4, 1959, bilateral relations have been developing steadily. In September 2015, China and Sudan established a strategic partnership.

The two sides have maintained continuous political exchanges. In December 2022, President Xi Jinping met with Chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on the sidelines of the first China-Arab States Summit. Visits from the Chinese side to Sudan mainly include: Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (January 2015), Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping and Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining (June 2015), Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Jiarui (November 2016), and Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Gaoli (August 2017).

Visits from the Sudanese side to China or to attend diplomatic events in China: Chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (September 2024), Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar (November 2023), and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein Awad Ali (May 2024).

After the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, China's cooperation projects in Sudan have been suspended. In 2024, the total trade volume between China and Sudan reached USD 1.39 billion, of which China's exports amounted to USD 830 million and imports totaled USD 560 million. China mainly exports electrical equipment, machinery and tools, among others, and mainly imports crude oil, agricultural and other products. In September 2024, China announced that it would offer Sudan zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines.

The two countries have a long history of people-to-people exchanges. In 1970, China and Sudan signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in science, technology and culture, and since then, the two sides have signed a total of 10 implementation plans for cultural cooperation. The Wuhan Acrobatics Troupe of China has helped Sudan train acrobatic talents and set up the Sudanese Acrobatics Troupe. In November 2009, the Confucius Institute at the University of Khartoum was officially established.

Since 1971, China has sent medical teams to Sudan from Shaanxi Province.