Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced that China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was ambassador to the United States, will tour five African countries from January 9 to 16, Mr. Gang will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, and Egypt.
In a press briefing, the spokesperson said that the new Foreign Minister will meet with his counterparts from the five countries as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League in Egypt.
Also, Qin will hold talks with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on bilateral relations as well as on international and regional issues of common interest.
This is Qin Gang’s first trip since he was appointed to the post to take over from Wang Yi, who took over the office of the Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission.
It has been the practice for Chinese foreign ministers to start with a trip to Africa after their appointment for 33 years, which attests to the importance China attaches to Sino-African relations, the spokesman said.