China’s Participation in the Conflict Resolution in Sudan and South Sudan: A Case of “Creative Mediation”
THE HISTORY OF CHINA-SUDAN RELATIONS goes back the Ancient Silk Road linking Sudan’s eastern ports to trade with the Middle East. The relations flourished between the 10th and 15th centuries. Diplomatic relations between the two states began in January 1959. Sudan was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Before the 1989 military coup, there was a positive image between the rulers, people, and elites of Sudan regarding China’s contributions to the rapprochement and development of Sudan.