BEIJING — China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang will begin his term with a week-long trip to five African countries, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.
Qin, who until recently was ambassador to the United States, will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt from January 9 to 16, spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing. In Egypt, Qin will also meet with the secretary general of the Arab League.
The new chancellor follows in the footsteps of his predecessors, who for more than three decades began each year with a trip to Africa.
“This shows that China attaches great importance to the traditional friendship with Africa and the development of China-Africa relations,” Wang said.
The United States is fighting China for influence in Africa, and President Joe Biden appealed to African leaders at a summit in Washington in December. China has become a major trading partner for the continent and an investor in infrastructure and mining projects.
Qin, 56, was appointed foreign minister on December 30. He succeeded Wang Yi, 69, who replaced Yang Jiechi as the government’s top foreign policy official.
Wang’s new position has not been announced, but a recent article by him on the Foreign Ministry website described him as director of the ruling Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, the post Yang held.
