(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-21 00:02

BEIJING  -- "The international community should help people in Darfur region in the way the Chinese have," Mirghani Mohamed Salih, Ambassador of the Republic of the Sudan to China, told Xinhua on Thursday in an exclusive interview.

Ambassador Salih said that China had provided Sudan with a free donation of 80 million yuan(11.26 million US dollars)for Darfur on infrastructures, bridges, power stations, water supply, schools and hospitals which have provided tangible benefits to people in Darfur regions as well as in other parts of Sudan.

"Sudan's lot is substantially improved since China started investing in the country," said Yao Guimei, a senior research fellow with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who has just come back from a Sudan trip.

Before Sudan started cooperation with China, its economy was largely at a halt. But now Sudan's economy is developing at more than 8 percent annually in recent years, she said.

China provided Sudan with humanitarian assistance of about 11 million US dollars last year, and will provide another 90 million US dollars in soft loans, according to Liu Guijin, Chinese government's special representative for Darfur.

"Recently, the Sudan Government secured finance for some infrastructure, such as schools, hospital and roads projects for Darfur and negotiated with Chinese contractors and suppliers to execute these projects in Darfur," said Ambassador Salih.

He echoed Liu Guijin's earlier statement that the Darfur issue is actually an issue of development.

"The majority of people in Darfur are engaged in farming and animal husbandry, and they had suffered for many years from drought, water shortage and inter-tribe conflicts," said Ambassador Salih, adding that people there had lost herds and lands.

What they need most is infrastructure projects, like dams, roads, water projects and schools, said Ambassador Salih, adding that "the international society should help people in Darfur region in the way the Chinese have."

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