China’s most-senior diplomats, Wang and Yang, conclude back-to-back visits to Europe

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Politburo member Yang Jiechi have concluded back-to-back tours to Europe aimed at shoring up Beijing’s ties with governments in the region. Wang wrapped up his trip on September 1, 2020, days before Yang, the head of the Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, finished his European stops on September 4, amid tensions over the coronavirus pandemic, the Hong Kong National Security Law and concerns about China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Wang and Yang were also expected to prepare for Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold a virtual meeting with European Union leaders on September 14.