In the coming days, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Turkey will all be visited by Wang Yi, China‘s top diplomat, the foreign ministry in Beijing announced on Wednesday.
“Wang Yi will attend the 13th BRICS high representatives’ meeting on security affairs in Johannesburg from July 24 to 25, and visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Turkey before and after the meeting,” the ministry said in a statement.
In order to challenge the predominate US and European-led global governance structures, South Africa currently serves as the chair of the BRICS, a grouping of heavyweights that also includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Next month, there will be a summit of the leaders of the bloc.
Beijing is looking to strengthen its presence on the continent, which is why Wang is in Africa.
The current foreign minister, Qin Gang, travelled to Africa last year for the first time since taking office.
Aiming to “make the global governance system more just and equitable,” Qin urged nations to cooperate during that visit.
He declared, “Africa should be a platform for international cooperation, not a field for conflict between powerful nations.”