adminBEIJING. — China’s top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Sunday, maintaining a 35-year-long tradition, to quietly advance Beijing’s already sizeable influence across the resource-rich continent as Europe’s presence wanes and US’ wavers.
While global capitals and investors brace for the return of U. President-elect Donald Trump to the White House, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and domestic politics keep German and French ministers occupied, Foreign Minister Wang Yi being in Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad and Nigeria highlights the consistency of China’s engagement with Africa, analysts say.
Wang’s visit through to Saturday also comes as the world’s number two economy ramps up its financial support for the debt-laden continent and looks to strike more critical minerals deals and find markets to absorb its exports.
“The decision on which countries to go to each year rarely follows any external logic,” said Eric Orlander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project. “(But) it resonates in Africa as a reminder of China’s consistent commitment to the continent, in contrast to the approaches of the US, UK and EU.”
Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, announced the visit at a news conference on Friday, saying it aimed to deepen practical cooperation across the board for sustained and substantive growth of China-Africa relations.
As China’s economy slows, Africa offers a much-needed avenue for its state-owned infrastructure firms struggling for projects as indebted local governments hold off on spending, and a market for its electric vehicles and solar panels, areas where the U.S. and EU say it has over-capacity. — Reuters.
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