China's envoy for the Darfur issue said on Sunday that China is committed to solving the Darfur issue and is not seeking expediency from the issue.

"What China is pursuing is to realize peace in Darfur as soon as possible, and to help Sudan achieve stability and development as soon as possible," Liu Guijin told Xinhua upon his arrival in Khartoum for a visit to Sudan.

"China's devotion to solving the Darfur issue is for the sake of peace, rather than for expediency," he said.

Liu said China is playing its role in solving the Darfur issue in an open manner and China will support any proposal or measure that conduces to the settlement of the issue.

The Chinese envoy appealed for further international support for the United Nations and the African Union (AU) -- the other two important players of a tripartite mechanism that also includes Sudan -- in solving the Darfur issue.

"Once again, I would like to urge the international community to further support efforts by AU envoy for Darfur Salim Ahmed Salim and UN envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson to solve the Darfur issue," Liu said.

The UN Security Council in July 2007 authorized the deployment a UN-AU hybrid force in Darfur, which would comprise 20,000 troops and more than 6,000 police and civilian staff.

Until now, there are only some 9,000 uniformed personnel on the ground, including 7,000 troops and 1,200 police who had been serving with the AU force.

Liu said he is confident of a final settlement of the Darfur issue as long as all parties concerned make joint efforts toward this end.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2008)