Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has begun an official tour of Africa covering Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho, running from Wednesday through January 12, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.
The visit follows a long-standing diplomatic tradition maintained by Beijing for 36 years, under which Africa is the first overseas destination of China’s foreign minister at the start of each year.
During the tour, Wang Yi is expected to attend the launch ceremony of the “China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges” at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The initiative was jointly designated by China and African leaders for 2026, marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the visit aims to strengthen mutual political trust, implement outcomes of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation summit, and promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The tour comes as China seeks to deepen its diplomatic and economic engagement across Africa amid growing global competition for influence on the continent.
