Beijing: China's foreign minister will begin a weeklong visit to African countries from Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho from Jan. 7 to 12, a ministry statement said.

According to Anadolu Agency - English, during the trip, Wang will also attend the launching ceremony of the China-Africa "year of people-to-people exchanges" at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The visit marks the 36th consecutive year that Africa has been chosen as the destination for China's foreign minister's first overseas trip of the year, the ministry said.

China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with trade reaching $282.1 billion in 2023.