Chance for peace in South Sudan

If South Sudan falls into a full-scale civil war, it will spillover into neighboring countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The conflict and ethnic violence in the world's newest country is also a slap in the face for the United States, which claimed South Sudan's referendum on independence in February 2011 was a success for its new Sudan strategy. The goal of the new strategy was not only South Sudan's independence, which the US hoped would give it access to its oil, but also to prevent the Islamic regime in Sudan from further expanding its influence in sub-Saharan Africa.

As the biggest investor in South Sudan's petroleum, the Chinese government has a stake in peace and stability in the country, and it has called on both sides to exercise restraint and solve their dispute through dialogue and negotiation. It is also actively supporting the mediation efforts of the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development. China is willing to play a constructive role in promoting the peace talks between the warring parties in South Sudan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Addis Ababa on Monday at the start of a six-day visit to Africa.

Although the two sides still have differences in opinion, they have managed to narrow down those differences and increase consensus, which lays a foundation for the peace talks, Wang said.

This is a good beginning for achieving a political solution, as it hoped that consensus can be reached on stopping hostilities, releasing political prisoners, holding political dialogues and providing access for humanitarian aid. This will lay the foundations for further negotiations on possible power sharing.

Restoring peace and stability in South Sudan is the common desire of the international community and China is shouldering its responsibilities in trying to facilitate this.

The author is a senior fellow with the Chahar Institute and a researcher with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.