Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Africa Should be the Stage for Cooperation, Not the Competition Arena for Big Countries

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali welcomed the arrival of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. (Twitter/@AbiyAhmedAli)

JAKARTA - Africa should not become an arena for competition between world powers, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday, while inaugurating the new headquarters for the pan-African health agency at the start of a five-country Africa tour.

Foreign Minister Qin visited African Union facilities in Addis Ababa, including the new headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention. China is financing the construction of the complex, as it previously did for the African Union headquarters which is also based in the Ethiopian capital.

China has been Africa's largest trading partner for more than a decade. It is "competing" for influence with the United States - which hosted leaders from 49 African nations last month - as well as with former colonial powers such as Britain and France.

"Africa must be a big stage for international cooperation, not an arena for competition for big countries," Foreign Minister Qin said at a press conference with African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki, reported by Reuters on January 12.

Foreign Minister Qin met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other government officials on Tuesday, announcing the partial cancellation of Ethiopia's debt to China during the visit, although neither side provided details.

Quoting VOA, Foreign Minister Qin dismissed the notion of Chinese and American rivalry, instead calling for an invitation to respect each other in relations, not based on winning or losing.

A trusted aide to President Xi Jinping and a former ambassador to the United States, Qin was appointed foreign minister last month. His visit marked the 33rd year in a row that Africa became the Chinese foreign minister's first overseas tour destination in a calendar year.

Apart from Ethiopia, Foreign Minister Qin will also visit Egypt, Angola, Benin and Gabon during this African tour. Paul Nantulya, researcher at the Center for Strategic African Studies said the country's choice reflects China's diverse interests in Africa.

China has strong security ties with Egypt and Angola. Visiting Benin and Gabon demonstrates ambition to expand Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure development - which has long focused primarily on the Indian Ocean region - to west Africa, he told Voice of America radio.