In an interview with the Egyptian news agency MENA, released on Tuesday, the Chinese official said his country's "position of principles" with regard to the Sahara issue "is based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council" pertaining to this subject.
China has always attached particular interest to the Sahara issue, out of its firm conviction that the non settlement of this question does not encourage development and stability in this region, and does not serve the unity and solidarity of the region countries, nor the efforts aimed at promoting the development of Africa, the official said.
The dispute between Morocco and the Algerian-backed separatist movement, Polisario, over the Sahara dates back to 1976, when the latter started laying claims to the former Spanish colony, which was ceded to the north African country a year before.
The two parties have so far held three rounds of negotiations at the invitation of the United Nations in a bid to reach a solution to the dispute. A fourth round is due in the second week of next month. Ahead of this round, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General is expected in the region in the period February 6-14 for consultations with the parties concerned.
Source: MAP
News and events concerning Western Sahara issue / Corcas