Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Monday kicked off a two-day visit to Sudan and South Sudan amid a bitter row between Khartoum and Juba over how to divide oil revenues, the lifeline of both economies.

Yang is expected to travel to Juba, capital of the world's newest state, today after meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Karti and President Omar al-Bashir.

Yang Monday urged both countries to sustain peace with each other and seek the solutions for the remaining problems between the two sides through dialogue and consultation, the Xinhua News Agency said, as the post-secession talks between the two have been dragging on without any breakthroughs

South Sudan took 80 percent of the country's oil production of 500,000 barrels of oil when it declared independence on July 9. But the South needs northern refineries and pipelines, in addition to the only Red Sea port to sell the oil.

Sudan on Friday blocked a 600,000-barrel oil shipment from the South and accused it of failing to pay the required $32-per-barrel customs dutie, according to Reuters.

Yang said China would not alter its policy to develop friendly cooperation with Sudan no matter how Sudan's internal situation and regional situation changed, according to Xinhua.

However, Yang warned that north and south Sudan would lose the "peace equation" if they refuse to cooperate and solve disputed issues.
Regarding the Darfur issue, Yang said the issue was essentially "a development issue," saying that it could only be resolved through elimination of poverty and realization of development.