Closer cooperation. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Nigeria from January 5 to 11 at the invitation of these countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday. This will be the 35th consecutive year that Chinese foreign minister visits Africa on the first overseas trip at the start of the year.

Mao told a routine press conference on Friday that at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last year, President Xi Jinping proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

President Xi noted that China and Africa should jointly advance modernization that is just and equitable, open and win-win and eco-friendly, puts the people first, features diversity and inclusiveness, and is underpinned by peace and security, and take ten partnership actions, which were well-received by Africa, Mao said. 

Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Nigeria are all China's friendly cooperation partners. The purpose of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming visit is to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and deepen practical cooperation across the board for sustained and substantive growth of China-Africa relations, the spokesperson noted.

"The tradition of the Chinese foreign minister making Africa the first overseas destination at the start of the year over the past 35 years underscores China's commitment to strengthening China-Africa relations and highlights the enduring traditional friendship between China and Africa," Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Over the past three decades, China and Africa have consistently supported each other, Song noted, emphasizing that despite the shifting international landscape, their traditional friendship has proven resilient in the face of these changes.

Regarding the four countries Wang will visit, Song noted that they represent key aspects of China-Africa cooperation. "China has significant cooperation with Namibia and the Republic of the Congo in terms of energy, infrastructure and others, and China's aid to Chad has played a crucial role in supporting its development. Furthermore, given Nigeria's considerable influence in West Africa and within the African Union, enhancing cooperation with Nigeria is vital for promoting integrated development across the continent."

In light of the fruitful outcomes from last year's Beijing Summit, Song emphasized that this visit also underscores China's commitment to advancing the implementation of the FOCAC pledges and to further aligning China's aid projects with the independent development goals of African countries.

Looking ahead into the China-Africa relations in 2025, Mao said at a press conference on December 31, 2024 that China stands ready to work together with African countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, have closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests.

"As members of the Global South, China and Africa are expected to strengthen their collaboration in building greater consensus on development and enhancing global governance to better reflect the voices and needs of the Global South," Song said.