Visit highlights strong ties with Africa

Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming New Year visit to four African countries marks a continuation of Beijing's 34-year-long fine tradition in its diplomacy, manifesting the nation's unswerving policy emphasis placed on the vast number of Global South countries on the African continent.

Wang will visit Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria from Sunday to Jan 11 at the invitation of these countries, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that this will be the 35th consecutive year that Africa has been the destination of the first overseas trip of the year by China's foreign minister.