China Prepares to Receive President Kiir - AllAfrica.com

Beijing — The Chinese Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zhong Jianhua revealed yesterday in a meeting in Beijing attended by the South Sudan Ambassador to China, Bak Valentino together with South Sudan media delegation sent to China that they are preparing for the first coming of President Kiir to China since South Sudan got independence.This meeting was also attended by representatives from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jianhua further noted that China has attached great importance to this visit and at the moment are making intensive preparations for it, and are very glad to know that before the coming of the President the team that is supposed to establish an embassy in South Sudan has already come to China. "We are very pleased to see that at the invitation of President Hu Jintao, President Kiir will pay a visit to China within April,"said Jianhua. This is a very important bilateral high exchange which will mark a milestone in exchanges between the two countries.Discussing further, the Assistant Minister pointed out that during this visit the leaders from the two countries will exchange views on regional and international issues of shared interest, as well as sign a number of memos of understanding.It was mentioned also by the Deputy Director General of Department of West Asia and North America that during this visit, they will also discuss issues concerning the oil, and hopes that President Kiir will be able to attend the inauguration ceremony of South Sudan´s embassy in China as well.

On another note, Jianhua mentioned that Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese news agency is planning to establish a branch in South Sudan and send a group of journalists there. He went ahead to invite South Sudan to establish a media agency in China so that they can report direct. He further encouraged them to send their journalists to China to have interviews with Chinese people direct.Concerning the development sector, China has also encouraged the Chinese competitive industries to invest in South Sudan as it will be a good way to bring development to the African country, as said by Jianhua. He elaborated that they trained a team of about 182 teachers last year and apart from education, China has also promoted South Sudan´s agricultural sector, business, energy to mention but a few.Also the business and energy cooperation has gradually deepened.

China has provided assistance to South Sudan and encouraged China´s oil companies to carry out mutual beneficial cooperation with South Sudan to support the industrial development in the country.He was very pleased too on the visit of the media delegation because he felt this particular visit was very important since this very same people can built a bridge of communication between China and South Sudan.According to him China established diplomatic ties with South Sudan on the same day she got her independence and since the relationship has been smooth, however relations between the two countries extend way back to 1970s when china would send medical teams to South and even helped it establish its agriculture. In return, the South Sudan´s Ambassador to China, Bak Valentino appreciated the fact that China was among the first countries to recognise South Sudan upon her independence.

Furthermore, South Sudan appreciates the role china played for her to attain independence and being recognised as an independent state in the world, and if it was possible, we South Sudan would have established an embassy in China right away, but as the saying goes it is better late than never.