A senior Chinese official Zhou Yongkang met Tuesday with Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Ahmed Karti.

"We are delighted to see the progress made by Sudan to properly solve the Darfur issue and to promote the peace process between the north and the south of the country," said Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau.

Hailing the relations between China and Sudan since forging diplomatic ties 50 years ago, Zhou said the fruitful win-win cooperation between the two countries set a successful example for cooperation between developing nations, and brought tangible benefits for the two peoples.

"We applaud Sudan's firm support in issues concerning our core concern," he said, noting that China would also support Sudan in any issues helpful for the country's peace, stability and development.

Zhou said China would speed up the fulfillment of bilateral cooperation agreement on oil, credit and project, and actively study the increase of cooperation in agriculture and other fields.

He hoped Sudan would achieve new progress in economic growth and people's livelihood.

Karti said his country was grateful for China's help, hoping that the two nations would expand cooperation in agriculture and other sectors, in a bid to benefit the two peoples.

China and Sudan established diplomatic ties on Feb. 4, 1959. The two countries had conducted sound economic cooperation, with bilateral trade standing at 8.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2008.