Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Africa, continuing the unbroken 36-year tradition of Chinese foreign ministers selecting Africa as their first overseas destination each year. In Ethiopia, the top Chinese diplomat proposed multiple initiatives to further deepen China-Africa cooperation and shared development.
Notably, during the trip, both sides, in addition to boosting their cooperation, also expressed concern over the recent developments in Venezuela, and stressed that sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, according to Xinhua.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang’s visit to Ethiopia, the first leg of his Africa trip, would last until Friday, followed by visits to Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho until January 12.
During the meeting between Wang and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday, both sides pledged to strengthen mutual support and the alignment of development strategies, Xinhua reported.
Ethiopia is leading the way in China-Africa cooperation, and both sides should work together to implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, Wang said. He called for making full use of China’s zero-tariff policy for all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, accelerating the upgrading of trade and economic cooperation, strengthening cooperation in infrastructure, green industries, and the digital economy, and advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa, per Xinhua.
