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China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang is on a weeklong trip to five African countries, indicating the importance of being assigned to the continent in its overall economic and diplomatic policy. The newly appointed foreign minister has rich experience in diplomacy as he was until recently ambassador to the United States
China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang is on a weeklong trip to five African countries, indicating the importance of being assigned to the continent in its overall economic and diplomatic policy. The newly appointed foreign minister has rich experience in diplomacy as he was until recently ambassador to the United States.
Qin will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, and Egypt from January 9-16, Apart from these, Qin will also meet the secretary-general of the Arab League during his Egypt visit. His predecessors also followed the same trend of visiting Africa each year.
Qin, 56, was appointed foreign minister on December 30. He succeeded Wang Yi, 69, who is speculated to have replaced Yang Jiechi as the government’s top foreign policy official. Wang’s new position has not been announced officially. However, a recent article by him on the Foreign Ministry website described him as director of the ruling Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, the post that Yang held.
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The visit assumes importance as the US is vying with China to gain a commanding position in Africa. President Joe Biden, in the US- Africa Summit held recently in Washington made an appeal to African leaders to come under its fold in December. He also announced a massive package for the countries on the continent. China is the major trading and investor partner of the continent having varied interests including mining and heavy exposure in the continent’s infrastructure sector.
