Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference on January 7. CCTV reporters at the general station asked, what is the special significance of China's foreign minister's first visit to Africa this year? What does the Chinese side expect from this visit? Mao Ning said that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, and President Xi Jinping and African leaders have agreed to host the “China-Africa Cultural Exchange Year.” Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited four African countries and attended the opening ceremony of the “China-Africa Cultural Exchange Year” at the African Union headquarters, continuing the fine tradition of a Chinese foreign minister visiting Africa for the first time in 36 years. Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho are all strategic partners of China. Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit is aimed at deepening mutual political trust with all parties, promoting implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, strengthening exchanges and mutual learning between the two major civilizations of China and Africa, and injecting new impetus into building an all-weather common destiny between China and Africa in the new era.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference on January 7. CCTV reporters at the general station asked, what is the special significance of China's foreign minister's first visit to Africa this year? What does the Chinese side expect from this visit? Mao Ning said that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, and President Xi Jinping and African leaders have agreed to host the “China-Africa Cultural Exchange Year.” Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited four African countries and attended the opening ceremony of the “China-Africa Cultural Exchange Year” at the African Union headquarters, continuing the fine tradition of a Chinese foreign minister visiting Africa for the first time in 36 years. Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho are all strategic partners of China. Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit is aimed at deepening mutual political trust with all parties, promoting implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, strengthening exchanges and mutual learning between the two major civilizations of China and Africa, and injecting new impetus into building an all-weather common destiny between China and Africa in the new era.