China to expand ties with Sudan during Bashir trip

The visit, scheduled for June 27-30, comes as the government in northern Sudan prepares for the July 9 separation of the country along its north-south border, the outcome of a referendum held earlier in the year.

Bashir and his government in Khartoum — Beijing’s long-time ally — stand to lose about a third of the country’s territory and up to three quarters of its oil reserves when the south leaves.