Minister Atong, Chinese envoy discuss strengthening South Sudan–China trade ties

2026-03-06 - 08:28

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk, has held talks with the Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan to discuss ways of strengthening trade cooperation between South Sudan and China. The meeting was also attended by the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Yel Luol Koor, and other diplomats from the Chinese Embassy. During the meeting, the Chinese Ambassador, Ma Qiang, said China is committed to strengthening economic cooperation with South Sudan. The Ambassador also delivered an invitation from the Chinese Minister of Finance and Trade asking Minister Atong Kuol to attend a Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization which will take place on March 26 2026. Minister Atong Kuol thanked the Chinese delegation for the invitation and confirmed that she will attend the conference. She also said the government is working to settle South Sudan’s membership payments to the World Trade Organization, and the issue has been taken to the Economic Cluster for action. The minister also spoke about her visit to China last year, where she met Chinese business leaders and encouraged them to invest in South Sudan. She highlighted opportunities for investment in sectors such as gum Arabic, honey production, and fish processing. The meeting ended with both sides agreeing to continue working together to strengthen trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.