Q:On February 23, the Sudanese Government and the opposition party "Justice and Equality Movement" in Darfur formally signed a ceasefire agreement in Doha, capital of Qatar. How does China comment?

A: China welcomes the above-mentioned agreement, which is another important outcome of the Doha peace talk and an important step towards peace in the Darfur region. It fully displays the resolve and sincerity of the Sudanese Government with relevant factions of Darfur in seeking a political resolution of the Darfur issue via negotiation. We applaud the unremitting efforts made by all parties concerned, including the Qatar Government, the Chadian Government and Mr. Bassolé, Chief Mediator of the Joint African Union-United Nations for Darfur. We hope other factions could join the Darfur peace process. We also hope that relevant parties and the international community could take this opportunity to push for new progress of the Darfur political process so as to seek a comprehensive and proper settlement of the Darfur issue at an early date and maintain peace, stability and development of Sudan and the region.