Chinese foreign minister visits three East African nations

Africa, Asia-Pacific, News January 7, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a four-day trip to Africa on January 4, where visited three African nations, Eritrea, Kenya, and Comoros.

Wang Yi first arrived in Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea, on January 4, where he spent one day. On January 5, Wang arrived in Mombasa, Kenya, where he will spend two days before visiting the island nation in the Indian Ocean, Comoros.

In Eritrea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang held talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Foreign Minister Osman Saleh. Earlier Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian hinted that pushing back against the U.S. in the Ethiopian conflict will likely become a prominent theme of Wang Yi’s trip to Eritrea. The U.S. sanctioned Eritrea for being involved in the conflict in neighboring Ethiopia. In November, Eritrea joined China’s global investment project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Wang arrived at Moi International Airport in Mombasa on January 5, where he was received by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Raychelle Omamo.

Wang also met with Kenyatta and a ministerial group and held discussions on health, security, climate change, and green technology transfer issues, and both sides signed new bilateral agreements.

The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs described State Councilor Wang Yi’s visit as “historical”.

“The visit gives the two countries an opportunity to enhance bilateral relations by signing agreements and further cement the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership between Kenya and China,” Kenya’s foreign ministry said in a statement

According to a report by the Kenyan state-owned media KBC, Wang Yi will also inspect the new oil terminal under construction by the China Communication Construction Company. The oil terminal is one of many development projects implemented by China in Kenya.

According to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, the main agenda of the foreign minister’s visit to Kenya is to promote the implementation of the outcome of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that was held in Senegal in November 2021.

Official Chinese data shows that China is Africa’s largest trading partner and the direct trade volume exceeded $200 billion in 2019. China is Kenya’s second-largest lender after the World Bank and has funded numerous infrastructure projects in the country.

On January 7, Wang Yi arrived in Comoros to wrap up his Africa tour. In Comoros, Wang met with Comoros President Azali Assoumani and said that “mutual understanding, trust, and support is a very important tradition for bilateral ties.”

China and Comoros also agreed to enhance cooperation on infrastructure, vaccination and improving people’s livelihood.

Wang Yi said that “China will supply Comoros with enough vaccinations this year to combat the COVID-19 pandemic”.

This visit marked the Chinese foreign minister’s 32-year custom of choosing Africa as the first overseas destination of the new year. Earlier in November 2021, Wang Yi visited Senegal to participate in the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, where he held meetings with several foreign ministers of African countries, including Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Wang also made a short stop in Ethiopia on December 1, where he warned against any interference in Ethiopia’s domestic affairs.