OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2011. China top oil producer said Wednesday it had agreed to further develop oil cooperation with Sudan during a visit by the African country's leader, Omar al-Bashir.

Jiang Jiemin, president of National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), signed a memorandum of understanding with Sudan's minister of state for oil, Ali Ahmed Osman, to "deepen cooperation in the oil and gas field", the company said.

The agreement was signed at CNPC headquarters in Beijing in the presence of Bashir on Tuesday, the first day of his official visit to China, it said in a statement. It gave no further details.

Sudan is China's sixth largest source of overseas oil and accounts for more than five percent of crude imports in the world's second-biggest economy, the China Business News said Wednesday, citing official data.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on genocide charges -- the first sitting head of state to be served an ICC arrest warrant.

China nevertheless remains an unabashed supporter of the Sudanese leader and has defended its invitation for Bashir to visit Beijing, with foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei saying Tuesday the visit is "quite reasonable".

Beijing is the biggest buyer of the country's oil, although the majority of Sudan's oil fields are located in the south, which will become independent on July 9.

Sudan's official news agency SUNA reported Tuesday that Jiang said CNPC was ready to boost oil investment in the African country and assured Sudanese officials that contracts signed by the two sides would be upheld.