Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Embarks on 5-Nation Africa Tour to Deepen Sino-African Ties
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to embark on a diplomatic tour of Africa, visiting Nigeria, Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, and Chad from January 5 to 11.
This trip marks the 35th consecutive year that China’s foreign minister has chosen Africa as the destination for their first overseas trip of the year, highlighting the importance of maintaining strong ties with African nations.
According to Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, “Wang Yi’s visit is at the invitation of these countries and reinforces China’s long-standing tradition of strengthening Sino-African relations.” This visit aims to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and deepen practical cooperation across the board for sustained and substantive growth of China-Africa relations.
The significance of this trip cannot be overstated, as it demonstrates China’s commitment to its African partners and its desire to strengthen bilateral ties. By choosing Africa as the destination for his first overseas trip of the year, Wang Yi is sending a strong signal about the importance of Sino-African relations.
During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed upgrading bilateral relations between China and African countries with diplomatic ties to strategic relations. He also suggested elevating China-Africa relations to an “all-weather community with a shared future” for the new era.
This vision is built on advancing modernization in six key areas and implementing 10 partnership actions, which aim to strengthen cooperation in areas like trade, industrialisation, infrastructure development, and people-to-people exchanges.
Some of the initiatives included in these actions are building a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network, and 25 centres for China and Africa studies. These initiatives are designed to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between China and Africa, and to provide a framework for the development of bilateral relations.
Ning noted that the African side responded positively to these proposals, indicating a strong willingness to deepen cooperation and strengthen ties with China. This positive response is a testament to the growing importance of Sino-African relations and the desire of African countries to deepen their engagement with China.
As Wang Yi embarks on his diplomatic tour of Africa, he will be seeking to build on the momentum generated by the FOCAC Beijing Summit and to deepen cooperation between China and its African partners. His visit is expected to yield significant outcomes, including the signing of new cooperation agreements and the launch of new initiatives to promote bilateral ties.