China has named the former mayor of Dongying, a city on the northern coast of Shandong province, as its new ambassador to Ethiopia. Zhao Zhiyuan stepped down as mayor in September and replaces Tan Jian, who left last month after completing a three-year term. Making the announcement on Tuesday, Wu Peng, the new head of African affairs at China’s foreign ministry, said Zhao’s experience made him “uniquely qualified” for the role. Dongying – home to more than 2 million people – is one of the fastest-growing economies in Shandong with a GDP of US$43.64 billion, according to Wu. “Zhao’s appointment shows that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the China-Ethiopia relationship, be it political or economic,” Wu said. “He surely will help elevate it to a higher level.” China’s ambassadors are usually career diplomats who have risen through the ranks, making Zhao an unusual choice, according to analysts. David Shinn, a diplomat and professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, said the appointment could have “something to do with a personal connection in China”. “In the US, this kind of assignment would not be at all unusual. In the case of China, it is quite unusual,” said Shinn, who has served as the US ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. China boosts its soft power in Africa while launching African space ambitions Ethiopia is a key Chinese ally and home to major Belt and Road Initiative projects such as the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway, which was majority funded by the Exim Bank of China. Chinese investors have pumped billions of dollars into the Horn of Africa’s light industries that have made Ethiopia a key clothing manufacturer and leather processor, exporting to the US and Europe. Stephen Chan, a professor of politics and international relations at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, said Zhao’s appointment to Addis Ababa reflected Beijing’s interest in the development of the Ethiopian city, in which Chinese firms played a large role. “It is felt that a former mayor would understand the urban strategy of the Ethiopian government,” Chan said. Kenya keen to renegotiate with China as virus hits Mombasa-Nairobi rail line It comes after a recent reshuffle of ambassadors in Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. Zhou Pingjian is now the ambassador to Kenya, replacing Wu, the foreign ministry’s new director general of African affairs. Zhou was previously ambassador to Nigeria, where his successor has not yet been announced. Meanwhile, Wang Hejun, former director of the commerce ministry’s Department of Treaty and Law, was appointed ambassador to Mozambique, replacing Su Jian. And former assistant foreign minister Chen Xiaodong is China’s new ambassador to South Africa. Chen replaced Lin Songtian, an outspoken and media-savvy diplomat who now heads the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Lin is among a new breed of Chinese diplomats using social media , especially Twitter, in an aggressive public relations push. Chan said Beijing was “slowly but surely moving or promoting a new generation of senior diplomats into place in Africa”. “These are people with experience and skill sets,” he said. He noted Wu’s promotion to the Africa-wide foreign ministry role, saying Wu was highly experienced. “The Chinese know that the US State Department is woefully under-equipped in terms of Africa expertise right now, so they are determined to be stronger in their own administrative and research capacities when it comes to Africa,” Chan said. Shinn also said Beijing wanted someone with strong Africa credentials in the role. “China is responding to the Trump administration’s policy of countering Chinese influence in Africa,” he said. “Wu Peng is now a key part of that effort, but anyone in his position would be doing the same thing.”
