Speaking of which, here's a brief exchange between Wang Wenbin and a journalist during a MOFA press conference on the situation in Sudan, 4 days ago:
Sounds like a rather SOP-style reply. No mention of any plans for the evacuation of Chinese nationals in Sudan either...
Anyways, talking about possible plans for evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan:
I don't think that the issue of PLA base in Djibouti not having a proper runway for Y-9 and Y-20 to operate from is really critical at this point, TBH.
Djibouti City near the PLA base has an international airport with a runway that is capable of operating Boeing 747s, so PLAAF Y-20s and Y-9s definitely can operate from there, once permission is obtained from the airport authority there.
Otherwise, China does have cordial relations with neighboring countries in the region, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. The PLAAF certainly can request permission to use their runways for any potential evacuation operations from Sudan.
With that question dealt with, now the main issue lies with how China should evacuate Chinese nationals from Sudan. Here's the latest development of the civil war situation in Sudan:
View attachment 111393
Red is Sudanese government military, green is RSF.
Unlike Yemen, Sudan's capital Khartoum is located pretty far from the Red Sea coast. The regions within and around Khartoum is highly unstable at the moment, while the Khartoum International Airport has been rendered unusable due to military actions between warring parties in Sudan.
That leaves two options:
Option 1 - A daredevil operation for Y-9s and/or Y-20s to land on unpaved surfaces/hurriedly-prepared airstrips immediately outside Khartoum, receive Chinese nationals onboard before quickly taking off again for allied airports and/or airbases in neighboring countries; or
Option 2 - An evacuation from a stable port-of-departure city within or outside of Sudan following land-based evacuation from Khartoum.
Option 1 could be too risky due to uncertain war developments in the area, therefore Option 2 seems to be the only option. For Option 2, the port city of Port Sudan (with a few seaports and a regional airport) would be a candid choice. This means a secure land corridor must be established from Khartoum to Port Sudan (a 12-hour drive) that would allow foreign nationals to flee through.
However, there are two lucky circumstances as of now:
1. Port Sudan located on the Red Sea coast is still fully under Sudan government military control. That means the seaports and regional airport in Port Sudan should still be fully accessible for evacuation purposes.
2. There are two routes leading from Khartoum to Port Sudan that are fully under Sudanese government military control. That means it is still possible for foreign nationals to flee from Khartoum to Port Sudan while avoiding the frontlines.
Therefore, the key objective right now is to secure a safe path for Chinese nationals to get the hell out of Khartoum, which would certainly require efforts on the diplomatic front. A ceasefire (even if temporary) between the two warring sides, and/or a secure land corridor that neither warring side can touch upon must be negotiated in order for this to happen.
