On the morning of April 24, 2012, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun accompanied visiting South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to attend the opening ceremony of South Sudan’s Embassy in China.

Kiir said in his speech that China is a great country which South Sudan deems as a good friend. South Sudan hopes to strengthen bilateral political exchanges and pragmatic cooperation with China.

Zhang in his remarks congratulated on the opening of the South Sudanese Embassy in China, pledging that China is willing to make joint efforts with South Sudan to push forward the bilateral friendly cooperative ties for the benefit of the two countries and peoples.

Nearly a hundred people attended the opening ceremony, including Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Li Zhiguo, charge d'affaires ad interim of South Sudanese embassy in China Valentino as well as diplomatic envoys of relevant countries.