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Chinese foreign minister set for 3-nation tour of East Africa as Beijing seeks to deepen ties
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit new belt and road nation Eritrea, as well as Kenya and the Comoros from January 4 to 7
- Analysts see Beijing focusing on stronger East African links as Wang continues 31-year tradition of opening the diplomatic year with a trip to the continent
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins a four-day visit to Eritrea, Kenya and the Comoros on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks to strengthen its relationships in Eastern Africa.
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His January 4 to 7 trip will see Wang keep up what has been a Chinese tradition since 1991, where the foreign minister’s first overseas visit of the year is to Africa.
It will also be Wang’s second visit to the continent in just over a month, coming shortly after he co-chaired the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Senegal in late November.
“Together, the three destinations for this time do seem to signal a focus on China’s maritime diplomacy and relations with the African side of the Indian Ocean,” Lina Benabdallah, a specialist in China-Africa relations at the Wake Forest University in North Carolina, said.
Eritrea joined Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative in November, in a move expected to help China cement its foothold in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. China has vast interests in the region, ranging from a military base to mega infrastructure projects such as ports and railways.
“The visit to Eritrea is perhaps less to do with the Indian Ocean and more to do with the strategic importance of access to the Red Sea,” Benabdallah noted.
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Under the belt and road strategy, China has funded the construction of highways, railways and power plants across Africa.
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