Chinese President Hu Jintao's African trip has arrested the attention of people globally. He had candid, in-depth talks with his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir on February 2. While discussing the Darfur issue, Hu enunciated a four-point principle, which once again suggests the just stance of the Chinese side on this hot-spot issue. On this very issue, China bears the overall situation and long-term interests and perspective in mind.

President Hu said the Chinese side deems that the four following principles should be observed in the pursuit of a solution to the Darfur issue. The first principle is to respect Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The second principle is to solve the issue by peaceful means and by adhering to dialogue and coordination based on equality. The third principle is that the African Union and the United Nations should play constructive roles in a peacekeeping mission in Darfur and, the fourth principle is to improve the situation in Darfur and living conditions of local people.

Hence, it is not difficult to see that China's principled position on the Darfur issue is aimed to spur its fundamental solution by means of peace, development and cooperation. Any program or schemes for the settlement of Darfur issue, if not favorable to the maintenance of Sudan's national unity, is bound to complicate the problem by raising side issues for the process of national reconciliation, and is also sure to further the complexity of regional conflicts and aggravate turmoil like dominoes in the region.

Likewise, all contradictions and disputes arising from the disparity of interests cannot categorically uprooted if a solution to the issue by peaceful means is not persevered and if the just and lasting solution of the issue by seeking the common ground while reserving differences is not followed. The Chinese side supports international cooperation in the process of seeking the settlement of the issue. China appreciates efforts by the Sudanese government, the African Union, The Arab League, the United Nations and the countries concerned to solve the issue. To help people in the Darfur region to improve their livelihood, China has decided to once again offer an assistance valued at 40 million RMB yuan (about 5.2 million US dollars) to the region.

While conferring on the Darfur issue, what is precisely the overall situation? To China, whatever things or programs favorable to peace, stability and development of the region is regarded as the overall situation, and this (logic) conforms to the long-term interests of the Sudan and its people and of the countries and their people in the region.

China has all along made sustained efforts to give scope to its positive constructive role on the Darfur issue. The Sudanese government, after attaining peace in northern and southern Sudan, has signed peace accords respectively with different factions in northern and eastern Sudan and the Darfur region, spurred social stability and provided a powerful guarantee for economic development. China has all along adopted a resolute, supportive position toward Sudan pertaing to its endeavor to achieve noticeable achievements in national reconciliation, promotion of economic growth and improvement of the livelihood of its people. To help people in the war-torn Darfur region to realize peace as early as possible, China has made consistent efforts to support the international community to bring its constructive role into play under the framework of the UN and its "Charter".

When the solution to the Darfur issue was in a critical moment, the Chinese side actively coordinated positions with the relevant departments of the United States and other countries. It voiced its endorsement of methods for an all-round, balanced political settlement, in a hope that all parties concerned could keep up trends for dialogue, step up communication and seek consensus and, on the basis of taking the concerns of all parties into account, seek unanimity on the scheme for settlement at an earlier date.

In his phone talk with President George W. Bush on Nov. 27 last year, Hu Jintao voiced his hope that all parties concerned with the Darfur issue would maintain their momentum for dialogue and, on the basis of calling attention to their concerns, seek a unanimity in the pursuit of the solution to the issue at an earlier date. Furthermore, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met with US President'Special Envoy to Sudan Andrew S. Natsios on January 11 of 2007, and they had a candid, sincere exchange of views. Therefore, Sino-US effective cooperation and coordination on this major "hot-spot' global issue will undoubtedly facilitate its proper settlement.

President Hu's African trip came only three months after the Beijing Summit of the Forum o China-Africa Cooperation held in the Chinese national capital in early last November, at which Chinese and African leaders agreed to establish and develop a new type of strategic partnership, featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange.

By People's Daily Online and its author Wen Xian, a senior PD editor