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What Did Wang Yi Accomplish on His Low-Key Africa Tour?

While global attention was fixed on the fallout from U.S. intervention in Venezuela and rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi quietly toured three African countries in a notably low-profile visit. ...

2026: Africa-China Relations in a World Shaped by North-South Geopolitics

When talking about Africa–China relations, one is always moving along a sliding scale. There are myriad interactions with Chinese entities that concern only individual African countries, segueing into trends affecting the whole continent and sliding further into global dynamics shaping the developing world, of which Africa is ...

China FM Skips Historic Somalia Visit, Lands in Tanzania

China's top diplomat Wang Yi skipped what would have been a historic visit to Somalia on Friday, instead proceeding straight to Tanzania on his tour of African countries. The visit would have been the first by a Chinese foreign minister to ...

Why Wang Yi Chose Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania & Lesotho for His 2026 Africa Tour

China's Wang Yi kicked off a four-nation, week-long Africa tour this week, marking a signature tradition for Beijing: making the continent the foreign minister's first overseas trip of the new year. Wang visited Ethiopia and ...

African Union Reaffirms ‘One China’ Policy in FM visit

The African Union reaffirmed its commitment to the "One China" policy, denying Taiwan's independence, during a visit by China's top diplomat Wang Yi to its headquarters in Ethiopia on Thursday. Wang was at the start of a visit to several east ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Confusing Developments in “Development”

This week I’m in Brussels, where I took part in a workshop on how the EU should shape its development strategy in response to China’s global influence.
I have joked in the past that it feels like I’ve attended this same ‘EU, Africa, and External Development Partners’ conference for ten years straight. 

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Chinese Warships Gather in Gulf of Aden for Naval Handover Ceremony

Six Chinese warships recently converged in the Gulf of Aden for a handover ceremony as one task force group relieved another to conduct patrols as part of the multinational anti-piracy operations. China has been an active participant in this initiative ...

China Blasts Ted Cruz’s Call for Somaliland Recognition as  “Coercive” and “Hegemonic”

Powerful conservative U.S. Senator Ted Cruz kicked up a Texas-sized social media storm on Friday when he declared his support for the U.S. government to diplomatically recognize the breakaway nation of Somaliland on the Horn of Africa. Cruz's post generated a huge ...

Taiwan Says Somalia Blocks Entry to Island’s Passport Holders

Somalia began blocking entry to Taiwan passport holders on Wednesday, the island said, alleging China had pressured the East African country to curb travel by Taiwanese people to the region. The move comes as Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, ...

Not Long Ago, the Somali and Chinese Foreign Ministers Would Not Have Met Like This

Tuesday's meeting between the Chinese and Somali Foreign Ministers at the United Nations in New York largely went unnoticed amid Wang Yi's other much more high-profile speeches and bilaterals that he held that day. But Wang's decision to meet with Fiqi ...

A Tale of Two Recognized and Unrecognized Republics

By Moustafa Ahmad As Somaliland and Taiwan deepen ties, Mogadishu has concurrently strengthened its relationship with Beijing as both recognized and unrecognized states vie for influence in the Horn of Africa. Just one day after ...

Chinese Fleet Returns Home After Mission in African Waters

A trio of Chinese warships returned to their home port in Guangdong Province on Friday after a 339-day mission that included operations in African waters. The ships, composed of the guided missile destroyer Jiaozuo, the guided missile frigate Xuchang, and the supply ship Honghu, ...

Former Top U.S. Diplomat for Africa Returns for New State Department Role

The top diplomat for Africa during the first Trump administration, Tibor Nagy, announced on X that he will rejoin the State Department for a new, expanded role that has yet to be announced.  WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Nagy was among the first Trump ...
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