The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) kidnapped 70 people, including 29 Chinese construction workers, in the unstable border state of South Kordofan yesterday . . . the Sudanese military claimed to have rescued 14 Chinese workers early today. . . the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile have been wracked by violence for several months, as rebel groups in both states would like to secede from Sudan . . . South Kordofan is the primary oil-producing state left in Sudan, after oil-rich South Sudan gained independence last year . . . China is a major investor and builder of infrastructure projects in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa . . . the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged Sudan to “actively conduct rescue missions under the prerequisite of ensuring the safety of the Chinese personnel” . . . the abduction is unlikely to prompt Beijing to reconsider its policy of development in unstable areas, however it will could convince Chinese officials of the necessity to increase security at their project sites.