International parties should give equal attention to the political process rather than merely focus on the peacekeeping mission, said Liu, who is on his fourth visit to Sudan since his appointment last May.

Liu said progress has been made in the peacekeeping mission by the hybrid UN-AU force in Darfur.

For instance, the advance troops of a 315-strong engineering unit from China and a police unit from Bangladesh have been deployed in Darfur, and African nations such as Egypt and Ethiopia are preparing to send their peacekeeping forces as well, he said.

Liu, who arrived in Sudan after a visit to Britain, said he was asked by Western reporters in London whether his current visit to Sudan was linked with Hollywood director Steven Spielberg's decision to quit as an artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympic Games and pressure on the games.

"I told them the answer is no. What China has been seeking is neither to defuse outside pressure, nor to seize the so-called height of morality," he said.

Instead, "I am hoping to use my visit to Britain and Sudan to give the international community an opportunity to gain an understanding of the situation in Darfur more actually and concretely," he said.

Liu, a veteran diplomat and a former ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa, has been engaged in African affairs for more than 25 years. Since resuming his current post, Liu has visited Sudan several times and shuttled between the United States, Britain and other countries over the issue.