Burhan Meets Chinese Envoy as Repairs Near Completion on Export Pipeline
Sudan’s military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, held talks with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xianghua on Tuesday to discuss the resumption of South Sudanese oil exports via Sudan, WAJ has learned.
The meeting, held in Port Sudan, focused on revitalizing economic ties and oil cooperation following the recent arrival of South Sudanese crude at the Bashayer export terminal on Sudan’s Red Sea coast.
“The discussion centered on enhancing bilateral relations, particularly in the energy sector,” Acting Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Idris Ismail said in a statement after the meeting.
Ambassador Zhang reportedly delivered praise for Khartoum’s efforts to stabilize the country and bring an end to the ongoing conflict. He also received a formal message from Burhan addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding oil and trade relations.
The talks come as preparations near completion for South Sudan to resume oil exports through Sudanese territory, two years after a shutdown caused by civil war disruptions. Repairs to the 1,131-kilometer pipeline running from Upper Nile State to Port Sudan have enabled early-stage pumping to begin again, with full exports expected by early May.
Before the shutdown, South Sudan exported approximately 150,000 barrels of oil per day through Sudan’s territory — a vital lifeline for both nations’ cash-strapped economies.
Ambassador Zhang also confirmed that the meeting covered wider cooperation, including the implementation of outcomes from the 2023 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, which Burhan had attended. Relevant Sudanese ministries are said to be coordinating efforts to align with China’s development pledges under FOCAC.
With both countries heavily invested in the oil pipeline and associated infrastructure, the resumption of exports is seen as a key step toward reviving economic stability and regional cooperation.