Wang Yi arrived today in Namibia, marking the first stop of a tour that celebrates the 35th consecutive year in which China’s top diplomat makes Africa his first international destination of the year.
According to local media, the Chinese Foreign Minister landed in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, to kick off a trip that will also take him to the Republic of Congo, Chad, and Nigeria, running until January 11.
The Executive Director of Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, Penda Naanda, stated that Wang’s visit will extend until Tuesday and will include meetings with the country’s president-elect, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and the current president, Nangolo Mbumba.
“Namibia and China maintain strong bilateral relations, characterized by close friendship and solidarity,” Naanda said in a statement released to local media.
For over three decades, the Chinese Foreign Minister has consistently begun the year with a visit to the African continent.
Confirming Wang’s trip during a press conference on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described the Africa tour as an “excellent tradition” aimed at “deepening practical cooperation in various fields and promoting the sustained and profound development of China-Africa relations.”
Mao stated that Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad, and Nigeria are “friendly cooperation partners of China” and that Wang’s mission is to “promote the implementation” of the outcomes from the most recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Beijing in September.
During that forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan (€47.6 billion) to finance Africa’s development over the next three years.
Xi also announced investments in the continent totaling 70 billion yuan (€9.26 billion).
Additionally, Xi unveiled 30 infrastructure projects and renewed his commitment to increasing imports of African agricultural products, a goal previously highlighted at the last FOCAC meeting in Dakar in 2021.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for the past 15 years, with trade volume reaching a record $282.1 billion (€273 billion) in 2023.
Critics have raised concerns about Beijing’s use of “debt trap diplomacy” to expand its influence across the continent, strategically using financing to make African countries beholden to China’s demands.
Africa’s trade deficit with China rose to $64 billion (€62 billion) in 2023, although the gap narrowed in the first half of 2024 due to increased Chinese imports from the continent.
Lusa, 01/06/2025
