Africa, Meet Qin Gang… Qin Gang, this is Africa

File image of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang who embarked on his first official visit to Africa on January 9, 2023 in his new role. Image via Xinhua.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang begins a five-nation, week-long tour of Africa in what will be his first public appearance in his new role. Qin, who until a few weeks ago was Beijing’s envoy to Washington, D.C., is a Europeanist who has no background in African affairs or anywhere else in the Global South.

So, during his visits to Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, Egypt, along with stops at the African Union and Africa CDC HQs in Addis Ababa and the Arab League office in Cairo, watch for Qin to treat this visit more as a listening tour rather than a forum to articulate any new directions in Chinese foreign policy for the continent.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator
5
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
6
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

You Might Like

Beijing’s New Ambassador to Angola Arrives at a Critical Juncture in Africa-China Relations

By Lukas Fiala The arrival of China’s new ambassador, Zhang Bin, to Angola last week was barely noticed outside the niche community watching Chinese diplomacy. While this posting is reportedly Zhang’s first ambassadorial appointment, it ...

China’s New FM Greeted as Old Friend in Ethiopia on First Stop of Africa Tour

Qin Gang landed in Addis Ababa early Tuesday morning to kick off his first tour of Africa as China’s new Foreign Minister. Qin spent the morning with his Ethiopian counterpart Demeke Mekonnen at the ...

Qin Gang Kicks Off African Tour with AU Commission Strategic Dialogue

“Africa should be a big stage for the international cooperation, not an arena for major countries competition.” This was the message from Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, speaking during a press conference with ...

On Tour in Africa and Latin America-Caribbean: Analyzing Wang Yi’s First Foreign Visits of 2024

By Oyintarelado Moses Every year, the Chinese foreign minister launches China’s first foreign policy visit with a trip to Africa, but this year, the tour is slightly different. From January 13-22, Chinese foreign minister Wang ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP