China's top diplomat heads to key locations in Africa
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday kicked off his traditional New Year's tour of Africa, which this year focuses on strategically important areas in the east of the continent.
He will visit Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho, aiming to strengthen Beijing's influence in Africa at a time of growing global competition.
The visit to Somalia, the first by a Chinese foreign minister since the 1980s, is intended to strengthen Mogadishu's position after Israel recognised Somaliland. China supports Somalia's territorial integrity and seeks to consolidate its influence in the Gulf of Aden region, a key trade route to Europe.
In Tanzania, Beijing is focusing on access to Africa's copper deposits and on upgrading the Tazara railway to Zambia to counterbalance the Western-backed Lobite Corridor.
The stop in Lesotho is meant to underscore China's support for free trade and tariff-free access for the poorest states that have faced high U.S. tariffs.
(reuters, est)