Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Editor's Note:

During his visit to Africa earlier this year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa and announced China will appoint a special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs. Xue Bing (Xue), a senior Chinese diplomat and former Chinese ambassador to Papua New Guinea, has recently been appointed to the post. In mid-March, he led a working group to visit the region. Xue accepted a written interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Zhao Juecheng to discuss the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa and his duties as special envoy. The purpose of China's proposal and appointment of the special envoy is to assist countries in handling regional affairs independently and achieve regional peace, stability, security and development, Xue said.

GT: As the special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, what are your duties and responsibilities? 

Xue: The Horn of Africa is a region that is home to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and other countries. The friendly exchanges between China and the Horn of Africa countries go back to ancient times. As early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Chinese navy explorer Zheng He's fleet had reached Somalia, Kenya and other countries, bringing the friendship of the Chinese people. 

At present, countries in the region maintain friendly and cooperative relations with China and have been proactively participating in the joint construction of the Belt and Road initiative. The practical cooperation between the two sides is increasingly deepening. For example, major projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, jointly constructed by the two sides, have become friendly routes to promote regional development.

At the beginning of this year, during his visit to Africa, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, which aims to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges, and achieving regional peace, prosperity and long-term stability. As a special envoy, my main job responsibility is to consult with countries in the region, promote the implementation of this outlook, and bring benefits to the countries and people in the region.

 Xue Bing (left), special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs, meets with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (right) in Asmara on March 12. Photo: Chinese Embassy in Eritrea

GT: As a senior diplomat, you once served as the ambassador to Papua New Guinea, and have worked in Africa, America, and Oceania. How will your previous experience help to fulfill the duties of the special envoy for the Horn of Africa? 

Xue: I have worked in both developed countries and developing countries, as well as regions with harsh conditions, major countries, and small countries. But no matter where I work, there is one thing that does not change. That is, China has long adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace, and China insists that all countries, big or small, are equal members of the international community. China upholds international fairness and justice and does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. China sincerely helps developing countries to explore development paths suitable to their national conditions and achieve revitalization. This is a policy we have adhered to for a long time. 

Such a policy is obvious to all, real and effective, and has won wide support and praise from the world. The vast number of developing countries, including African countries, expect China to continue to adhere to the policy, and expect China to play a more active and constructive role in international peace, security and development. Therefore, when Wang visited Africa at the beginning of this year, his proposal, the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, was raised at the right time. 

Wang asked me to visit the Horn of Africa countries as soon as possible. The purpose is to introduce China's outlook and to work with regional countries to provide Chinese solutions and contribute Chinese wisdom to the realization of peace and development in the Horn of Africa region and the entire African continent. I myself will make unremitting efforts to this end.

GT: Would you elaborate on the content and connotation of the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa?

Xue: The Horn of Africa sits on an important location, with a large population and huge development potential. Regional peace and stability are of great significance to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of the entire Africa. In recent years, the overall peace and security situation in the Horn of Africa has improved. However, contradictions, in terms of borders, tribes and religions among countries in the region are still complicated. Hotspot issues occur from time to time, which are not in the fundamental interests of the countries or people in the region.

The countries in the region generally approve of China's foreign policy toward Africa and expect China to play an active role in regional peace, stability and development. Wang visited Ethiopia in December 2021, and visited Eritrea and Kenya earlier this year. He exchanged in-depth views on regional issues with the countries. On the basis of consideration of the regional situation and the wishes of regional countries, Wang put forward the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa. This is an important practice of implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and practicing the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation. The main purpose is to support regional countries in coping with the triple challenges of security, development and governance through independent approaches, and to achieve long-term stability and development and prosperity. The main content of the outlook has three aspects.

The first is to strengthen intra-regional dialogue to overcome security challenges. China always believes that regional issues should be resolved by regional countries through negotiation and consultation, supports regional countries and peoples to get rid of major powers' geopolitical competition, takes the regional destiny into their own hands through equal consultation, and firmly takes the path of unity and self-improvement. China proposes countries in the region hold a peace conference. The main starting point is hoping that all countries can take the conference as a platform to form a political consensus and coordinate joint actions on handling divergences and resolving internal conflicts through dialogue and consultation.

The second is to accelerate regional revitalization to overcome development challenges. The Horn of Africa has an advantageous geographical location and abundant natural resources, with good development space and prospects. The Chinese side proposes to strengthen the two main axes of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway and the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway, while accelerating the development along the coasts of the Red Sea and of East Africa, so as to form a development framework of "two axes plus two coastal areas," and to improve the capability of independent development. 

China is willing to connect the outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation with the development strategies of countries in the region, support the region to improve the level of connectivity, and strengthen practical cooperation with countries in the region in various fields such as land-sea transport, manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism, to offer support for the development of regional economic integration.

The third is to explore effective ways to overcome governance challenges. China supports the regional countries in seeking development paths that suit their own national conditions, strengthening exchanges among regional countries on national governance, with useful experience to break through governance bottlenecks. We support regional countries in properly handling regional ethnic, religious and regional disputes in African ways, and build a united, stable and harmonious development environment for the Horn of Africa. China is also willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with regional countries in the field of national governance and administration.

GT: China's appointment of the special envoy for the Horn of Africa has attracted international attention. Some Western media believe that this is China's move to expand its regional influence, and some reports analyze it as part of a major power game. How do you respond to these views?

Xue: Some Western media outlets tend to look at things from the perspective of geopolitics and major power games. But this is not China's intention. Africa is not an arena for major power games, and external forces arbitrarily interfering in regional affairs and the internal affairs of regional countries will only exacerbate the complexity and instability of the situation, and will not be conducive to truly solving the problems. China sincerely cares about the development of Africa, and always treats African countries with mutual respect on equal footing. For a long time, we have been striving to play an active and constructive role in the peaceful development of the Horn of Africa region.

The purpose of China's proposal and appointment of the special envoy this time is also very clear, that is, to assist regional countries in handling regional affairs independently and to achieve regional peace, stability and security development. China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and has always supported "African solutions to African problems." This is not only a distinctive feature of the outlook, but also the basic principle of my work as China's special envoy.

GT: Would you please introduce your work plan and key agendas for the near future? African countries in the region are facing the triple challenge of security, development and governance. Which of these will become a priority for your work?

Xue: Security is the guarantee for achieving stable development, and development is the basis for solving security problems, and good governance is the fundamental way to solve a series of problems. The three are interconnected, and these three challenges require comprehensive strategies and solutions.

In mid-March, I led a working group to visit the Horn of Africa region, to establish contacts with all parties, communicate and exchange in-depth views on the implementation of the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, and to promote peaceful conference as soon as possible. If in need, China is also willing to mediate some regional issues. I will communicate with countries in the region on how to deepen cooperation in various fields, promote the implementation of the outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, connect it with the development strategies of countries in the region, and support regional countries in coping with security, development and governance challenges through multi-pronged approaches.