The Chinese and Sudanese foreign ministers spoke by phone yesterday, confirming the countries' mutual support.  

"China supports the peace process in Sudan and is willing to joints hands with Sudan to promote Sino-Sudanese cooperation," Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said in a telephone conversation with Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail Monday morning.

Li said China would further strengthen consultations "with concerned parties" and make efforts to promote the resolution of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.

Ismail briefed Li on the latest developments of Sudan's peace process and Darfur, saying Sudan is "regaining stability in the local situation" and the Sudanese legal system has begun criminal trials.

Violence flared up in February 2003 between local farmers and militia in Sudan's western region of Darfur over scarce natural resources. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Darfur and as many as 1.85 million people are internally displaced or have fled to neighboring Chad since rebel groups took up arms against the Sudanese government.

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2005)