On Thursday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced during a visit to several Horn of Africa nations that the Chinese Foreign Ministry would create a new special liaison to the region, where the U.S. is struggling to maintain its former influence
Speaking Thursday in Mombasa, Kenya, Wang said the two nations are “partners for peace in the region” and would continue to coordinate at the United Nations Security Council and other venues to increase that role.
Later, during a meeting with Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Raychelle Omano, Wang announced he would appoint a special envoy to the Horn of Africa to further those goals. “I believe that this is what we need,” Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta replied. “Kenya-Africa does not need lectures; Kenya-Africa needs friends willing to work with us to achieve our goals and our aspirations.”
Wang’s visit to Kenya came after a two-day stop in Eritrea. The two foreign ministries declared a new Strategic Partnership, and China reaffirmed its support for Eritrea against unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States. “Regional countries know best the problems within the region, and it’s up to the people of a country to properly handle its internal affairs,” Wang said in Asmara.
