Qin Gang heads to Africa for first trip as Chinese foreign minister

Former envoy to Washington will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt during week-long tour

He will visit the African Union Headquarters and meet the secretary general of the Arab League

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Qin Gang is making his first overseas trip as China’s foreign minister. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 10:30pm, 9 Jan 2023

Qin Gang headed to Africa on Monday, making his first overseas trip as China’s new foreign minister to a region where Beijing and Washington are vying for influence.

The former ambassador to the United States will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt on the week-long trip, according to foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

The trip aimed to “deepen the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership and boost friendly cooperation”, Wang said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

He said Qin would visit the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia and meet Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary general of the Arab League, in Egypt.

It has been a long-standing tradition for Chinese foreign ministers to visit Africa at the start of the year in a bid to underline Beijing’s commitment to the region.

Qin’s visit follows the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month, at which President Xi Jinping stressed Beijing’s economic commitments to Middle Eastern and North African countries.

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