China names a new special representative for African affairs

Liu Yuxi, the former head of China’s mission to the African Union, has been appointed Beijing’s new special representative for African affairs, China’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday. The ministry described Liu, 60, as a veteran diplomat well-versed in African affairs who also once served as the ambassador to Togo. “He stands ready to establish close working relations with various sides, further deepen exchange and cooperation between China and African countries and regional organisations,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. Liu is succeeding Xu Jinghu, who the ministry said had “worked diligently to promote China-Africa friendship and practical cooperation in various fields”. “Xu had maintained good communication with the international community on issues concerning Africa, and made important contributions to developing China-Africa relations,” Zhao said. It was not immediately clear if Xu would be retiring. Senior officials at minister-level ranking usually retire at 65, although sometimes Beijing bends the rules. Liu had served since 2018 as ambassador to the African Union and also China’s representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Earlier in his career, Liu worked as deputy director general of the Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Lina Benabdallah, a China-Africa specialist at Wake Forest University, said that “in light of the 20th [Communist] Party Congress, some shuffles are due as a routine and not necessarily to respond to specific conditions”. Top Chinese official for Africa to visit debt-hit Zambia days after Xi call David Shinn, professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, noted that Xu had been appointed special representative on African affairs in 2016: “It is no surprise that she is moving on now.” The role of a special representative on African affairs is primarily political mediation and Liu is likely to be tasked to help find solutions to hotspot issues in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and the Great Lakes region. At a meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last month, Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that China provided military aid to countries in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, and policing equipment to countries including the Central African Republic and Namibia. “All of this has helped boost the capacity of countries in the region for preserving peace and stability with their strength,” Wang said. Liu’s appointment comes as the US and European countries have unveiled multibillion-dollar initiatives to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa. China is also the continent’s largest trading partner. US President Joe Biden has invited African countries for a leaders’ conference in December, as Washington battles for influence. The US is also seeking African support in sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which has led to a shortage of wheat and raised crude oil prices. The continent is split over Moscow’s war, with many nations taking a neutral stance while others oppose sanctions. China’s position is that African countries should not be forced to take sides. China is also seeking African support for its position on Taiwan. China called the recent visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as interference in China’s internal affairs – an assertion that received support from some African countries, including Eritrea, Somalia and Zimbabwe. The European Union and Japan have also recently said they would increase financing for the continent’s infrastructure as an alternative to the BRI, which has funded and built huge infrastructure projects in Africa. Liu’s appointment follows other changes China has made at several diplomatic missions in Africa, including Malawi, Rwanda, Gabon, Zambia and the African Union. Japan pledges US$30 billion for Africa as it seeks to counter China Stephen Chan, of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said that the recent appointments in Rwanda and Zambia “seem to be an effort to bolster China’s position in two countries widely seen as seeking technocratic ways forward and who have pragmatic but warm relationships with the West”. At the African Union, Chan added, “even a casual visitor to the union will see a Chinese presence – from young Chinese interns to seriously accomplished senior diplomats. “Africa is very important to China and the AU is key in Chinese strategy.”