Sudan urges China to ‘speed up’ execution of agreed projects

Sudan yesterday urged China to start the new projects which were agreed earlier between the two countries, the Anadolu Agency reported quoting the Sudanese Minister of Finance and National Economy Badr El-Din Mahmoud Abbas.

In a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador in Khartoum, Li Lianhe, Abbas called for boosting the mutual cooperation between the two countries to overcome Sudan’s economic difficulties.

Beijing had promised to implement new infrastructure-focused projects in Sudan with the aim of resolving the country’s accumulated debts which have reached $8 billion.

Sudan has recently signed several agreements with China in the energy, infrastructure and agricultural sectors.

The Sudanese minister described China as the African country’s main trade and development partner, praising its support during the two decades of US imposed trade sanctions.

According to the government’s official data, China has played a prominent role in Sudan’s economy with investments worth $ 13 billion in the infrastructure and energy sectors.

During the meeting, the Chinese ambassador expressed his opposition to the sanctions, noting his government’s continuous discussions with the US to lift them.

In 1997, the US imposed a comprehensive trade embargo against Sudan and blocked the assets of the Sudanese government, which was suspected of sponsoring international terrorism.