The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, began its annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday, a diplomatic tradition by which Beijing intends to underline the strategic importance of the continent in its foreign policy.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi will visit successively Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and LesothoThis tour focuses on East Africa, a key region for Chinese economic and security interests.
The visit to Somalia carries particular symbolic weight: it is the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to the country since the 1980s. It comes at a sensitive diplomatic time, after Israel recognized the Somaliland, a secessionist territory in northern Somalia. Beijing has reaffirmed its support for Somali territorial integrity and seeks to strengthen its influence around the Gulf of Aden, a crucial maritime axis for Chinese trade to Europe via the Suez Canal.
In Tanzania, China is focusing on long-term economic objectives, particularly access to African mineral resources. Chinese companies are involved in modernizing the railway line. Tazara Railwaylinking Tanzania to Zambia. This project is seen as a counterweight to the Lobito corridor, supported by the United States and the European Union, intended to link Central Africa to the Atlantic.
The final step in Lesotho is intended to allow Beijing to present itself as a champion of free trade. China recently granted the poorest countries tariff-free access to its vast market, fulfilling a commitment made by the president. Xi Jinping at the 2024 China-Africa summit. A particularly strong message aimed at this small kingdom in southern Africa, which was heavily affected by the tariffs imposed last year by the United States.
With this tour, Beijing confirms its desire to consolidate its political, economic and strategic influence in Africa, in a context of increased rivalries with Western powers on the continent.
