China welcomed northern and southern Sudan's acceptance on an international arbitration over the disputed area of Abyei between the two sides, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Thursday.

His comment came in response to a question concerning a ruling issued on Wednesday by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

Qin said it was an active move in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement reached by Sudan's National Congress Party (NCP) in north and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in south, and China hoped it would be conducive to the peace process between the north and south and Sudan's national unity and reconciliation.

According to the ruling, the PCA redrew the boundaries of Sudan's oil-rich Abyei and ceded some productive oilfields to the north. Both the SPLM and NCP have pledged to respect the international arbitration.

Boundaries' dispute over Abyei was one of the most sensitive issues in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement reached by the two peace partners in Sudan.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2009)