China pledged to deepen military cooperation with South Sudan by expanding dialogue, contacts and exchanges between the armed forces of the two countries, reaffirming Beijing’s support for the country’s peace and stability.
The commitment was made on Thursday by the Senior Defence Attaché at the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, Colonel Chen Gaofeng, during a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Juba to mark the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
“The peoples of China and South Sudan enjoy deep-rooted friendship, and the militaries of the two countries maintain sound momentum of development,” he said. “I stand ready to work with the South Sudanese side to boost military-to-military dialogue, contacts and exchanges, and steadily advance bilateral military-to-military relations.”
Col. Chen said China remains committed to a defensive national defence policy and will continue working with countries around the world to promote peace and security. He highlighted the Chinese military’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, anti-piracy missions, counterterrorism cooperation, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
He also welcomed the appointment of Major General Wu Junhui as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) earlier this year, describing it as recognition of China’s contribution to international peacekeeping.
“In March this year, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed Major General Wu Junhui from China as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan,” he stated. “This is a high recognition of China’s active participation in UN peacekeeping operations. It is believed that he will further contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to peace and stability in South Sudan.”
For his part, Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Ma Qiang reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Juba as the two countries mark 15 years of diplomatic relations this year.
He said China would continue supporting South Sudan’s peace process while deepening practical cooperation across various sectors.
“Currently, South Sudan’s peace process has entered a critical stage,” he said. “China will continue to practice Xi Jinping’s thought on diplomacy and Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, continuously deepen practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and support South Sudan in advancing the peace process and achieving stable development, promoting the China-South Sudan strategic partnership to a higher level.”
The ambassador also underscored China’s contribution to UN peacekeeping, saying the country is the largest troop-contributing nation among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
According to Ma, China has participated in 29 UN peacekeeping missions since 1990, deploying more than 50,000 military peacekeepers and over 2,700 police officers. He said more than 1,600 Chinese peacekeepers are currently serving in eight UN missions worldwide, with the majority deployed in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, South Sudan’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Lt. Gen. Chol Thon Balok, commended China for its longstanding support to the country, particularly in peacebuilding, infrastructure development and economic investment.
“The people and government of China have been standing with the people and Government of the Republic of South Sudan in solidarity for decades,” Balok said. “We commend the people and government of China for continual support in critical areas like peace support operations, peacebuilding, infrastructure development and economic investment.”
He called for stronger cooperation between the two countries.
“We ask for more and continued diplomatic understanding and support,” the minister said.
The reception was attended by senior South Sudanese government officials, diplomats, military officers, representatives of security institutions and members of the international community.
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