China, South Sudan vow to advance bilateral ties

A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said on Thursday that China will work with South Sudan to promote the comprehensive and sound development of bilateral ties. Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remark while meeting with a delegation led by Pagan Amun, secretary-general of South Sudan\'s ruling Sudan People\'s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Wang welcomed the high-level delegation, the first group of its kind to visit the country since South Sudan was founded. Wang said the Chinese government and people respect the right of South Sudan to independently choose its own political system and development path. China is willing to take the opportunity of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations to enhance high-level visits, promote pragmatic cooperation, deepen party-to-party communication and strengthen coordination in international affairs, Wang said. Amun thanked China for supporting the formation of South Sudan, saying the country attaches great importance to developing friendly and cooperative relations with China. Amun said South Sudan will fully support and promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation in areas such as oil, agriculture, minerals, housing construction, telecommunication, water conservation and transportation. The SPLM admires the leadership and administrative accomplishments of the CPC and hopes to enhance its own exchanges and communication with the CPC in order to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, Amun said. China announced its recognition of South Sudan\'s independence on July 9 this year.