China has played an active and constructive role in resolving the Darfur issue, a spokesman for the African Union (AU) in Sudan's Darfur said recently.

"We have maintained contact and communication with China's special envoy for Darfur on the Darfur issue because we considered China as an active and effective partner," said Noureddine Mezni, a spokesman for the AU, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

A professor of politics from Khartoum University said China not only played its part in resolving the Darfur issue but also exerted an active role in realizing peace in southern Sudan.

China has sent troops to join the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force in southern Sudan and has developed into a reliable force there to achieve peace and development, he added.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Energy and Mining Minister Awad Ahmed al-Jaz praised the Chinese government for showing a pragmatic manner in settling the Darfur issue.

Li Chengwen, Chinese ambassador to Sudan, said recently that China's efforts to help resolve the Darfur issue were in line with its policy to assist African countries in realizing peace and development.

During Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's visit to China to attend the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation last November and Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Sudan in February, the two leaders exchanged views on the Darfur issue. China has also actively participated in the United Nations discussion on Darfur and contributed to the adoption of UN Resolution 1769, said Li.

Since assuming his post in May, China's special envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin has visited the Darfur region several times and traveled to Libya for negotiations on Darfur issue.

China has dispatched an engineering unit to join the UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur and more engineers will be deployed in the region soon.

China has also provided humanitarian and development assistance to the Darfur region. The first three batches of assistance goods have arrived in Darfur and the fourth and fifth bathes would be sent there soon.

According to Li, China has been actively involved in development and construction in the Darfur region to promote the settlement of the Darfur issue.

For example, one Chinese company has completed a water supply project in southern Darfur which will also be utilized by the UN-African Union mission while another Chinese company is supplying water to northern Darfur. The Chinese companies in Sudan have also hired a large number of employees from the Darfur region in a bid to improve the living condition of many local families.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2007)