China urges Sudans to return to talks

　　Hu Jintao, China’s president, has called for a return to talks and an end to conflict between Sudan and South Sudan as the latter’s president, Salva Kiir, visited Beijing to lobby for economic and political support.

　　中国国家主席胡锦涛呼吁苏丹与南苏丹重启谈判，结束冲突。目前南苏丹总统萨尔瓦•基尔(Salva Kiir)正在北京访问，劝说中方提供经济和政治支持。

　　The meeting coincided with increasingly bellicose statements from the two Sudans. Talks over how to share oil revenues broke down this year and recent weeks have seen the worst fighting since South Sudan seceded in July. South Sudan captured an oilfield controlled by the north this month. This week, Sudan bombed a regional oil capital in the south, killing civilians.

　　胡锦涛会晤基尔之际，苏丹和南苏丹都在发布火药味越来越浓的声明。有关石油收入如何分成的谈判在今年破裂，近几周来双方爆发了自去年7月南苏丹独立以来最为激烈的战斗。就在本周，苏丹轰炸了南苏丹一个地区性的石油重镇，造成一些平民丧生。

　　“The urgent task is to actively co-operate with the mediation efforts of the international community and halt armed conflict in the border areas,” Mr Hu was reported as saying on Chinese state television.

　　“当务之急是积极配合国际社会调解努力，停止边境地区武装冲突，”中国官方电视台援引胡锦涛的话称。

　　Mr Kiir said, on the second day of a five day visit to China: “It [this visit] comes at a very critical moment for the Republic of South Sudan because our neighbour in Khartoum has declared war.”

　　基尔在五天访华行程的第二天表示：“（本次访问）正值南苏丹共和国遭遇一个非常关键的时刻，因为我们在喀土穆的邻居已经宣战。”

　　Analysts question how much China – the biggest buyer of oil from both countries with major investments in the industry on both sides of the border – can do.

　　分析人士质疑，苏丹和南苏丹石油的最大买家、在两国石油业都有重大投资的中国，能够采取多少行动。

　　Both Sudans have actively sought Chinese support in protracted talks over oil, which was pumped from Chinese-built facilities in the south and exported via Chinese-built infrastructure in the north until the south halted production in February. Their efforts have placed Beijing, which has long preferred not to take sides, in a difficult position.

　　苏丹和南苏丹双方在旷日持久的石油收入分成谈判中，都积极争取中方的支持。这使得一直不愿偏向任何一方的北京方面陷入棘手的处境。在2月份南苏丹决定停产之前，该国开采的石油从中国建造的设施泵送至北方，然后通过中国在苏丹建造的基础设施出口。

　　“For China, whatever it does is inappropriate,” said Professor Zha Daojiong at Peking University. “What can China do? Maybe provide some loans or some infrastructure projects but what else can they really do? They can’t resolve the border conflict.”

　　“对中国来说，无论做什么都是不合适的，”北京大学教授查道炯表示。“中国能做些什么？也许提供一些贷款或一些基础设施项目，但除此之外他们还有什么可做的？他们解决不了边界冲突。”

　　Chinese academics and government advisers said Beijing was unlikely to provide a large aid package to South Sudan.

　　中国学者和政府顾问表示，北京方面不太可能向南苏丹提供大笔援助。

　　“First you have to fix the relationship between North and South Sudan, otherwise it doesn’t matter whether you are providing loans or whether you are building infrastructure, it won’t mean anything,” said Yin Gang, an African specialist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government advisory body.

　　“你首先要解决北南苏丹之间的关系，否则无论你提供贷款或是建造基础设施都无关紧要，它不会有任何意义，”政府顾问机构——中国社会科学院的非洲问题专家殷罡表示。

　　China should refrain from supporting South Sudan’s planned oil pipeline via Kenya to avoid angering Khartoum, he said. “Perhaps loans for people’s wellbeing, for drinking water and paving roads, might be a possibility. But we shouldn’t give loans for them to change oil channels,” Mr Yin said.

　　殷罡称，中国不应当支持南苏丹建设穿越肯尼亚的输油管道的计划，以免让苏丹不快。他表示：“或许用于改善民生（如饮用水和铺路）的贷款是一个可能性。但我们不应当提供让他们变更石油出口渠道的贷款。”

　　At a press briefing on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry reiterated its call for dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan and declined to say whether it was prepared to extend loans to South Sudan.

　　中国外交部在周二的记者会上再度呼吁苏丹与南苏丹进行对话，同时不愿表示中国是否准备向南苏丹提供贷款。

　　“We hope that the two sides can resolve their problems through dialogue, without resorting to actions that might escalate the situation,” it said. “Oil is the lifeline of both countries, and maintaining stable co-operation with foreign oil companies is in the interest of both countries. This is also in the interest of groups including China’s oil companies and their partners.”

　　“（我们）希望双方通过对话协商解决问题，不采取使局势升级的行动，”中国外交部发言人表示。“石油是两国的经济命脉，保持与外国石油合作稳定性、持续性符合两国根本利益，也符合包括中国企业在内的有关合作伙伴的利益。”

　　A resumption of talks seems unlikely, however, as both sides seem increasingly to be betting that the other government will fall, analysts said. South Sudan is fast running out of cash since it stopped oil production, while Sudan’s economy has also been squeezed by the loss of oil revenues.

　　不过，分析人士表示，恢复谈判似乎不太可能，因为双方似乎都日趋押注对方政府将会垮台。南苏丹自停止开采石油以来，现金储备消耗殆尽，而苏丹经济也在承受失去石油收入的压力。

　　The African Union is trying to restart stalled negotiations and has criticised the south for attacking Heglig and the north for bombarding the south.

　　非洲联盟(African Union)正试图重启陷入僵局的谈判，并批评南苏丹攻打哈季利季(Heglig)，批评苏丹轰炸南苏丹。

　　The complexity of the negotiations, which include not only oil but also disputed territory, debt allocations and citizenship, has long foxed mediators.

　　谈判不仅包括石油，还涉及领土争议、债务分割以及公民权，其复杂性一直令调解人头疼不已。

　　“It’s just a bloody difficult mediation. It represents the same sort of deal you’re trying to get between Israel and Palestine,” said a foreign diplomat. “We’ve got to get back to the table.”

　　“这是一场非常困难的调解。它就像你试图在以色列与巴勒斯坦之间撮合的那种协议，”一名外国外交官表示。“各方必须重返谈判桌。”

　　The US has little leverage to influence the situation, analysts said. Given the years of sanctions against the Sudanese regime, Washington has no sway in Khartoum, while the new government in Juba also appears to be paying little attention to the appeals of the Obama administration, despite the longstanding support that the South has received from the US.

　　分析人士表示，美国在这件事上影响力不大。针对苏丹政权的多年制裁意味着，华盛顿在喀土穆没有影响力，而南苏丹的新政府似乎对奥巴马(Obama)政府的呼吁置若罔闻，尽管南方长期得到美国支持。

　　Additional reporting by Gwen Chen in Beijing and Geoff Dyer in Washington

　　陈晓敏(Gwen Chen)北京、杰夫•代尔(Geoff Dyer)华盛顿补充报道