Why Wang Yi Chose Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania & Lesotho for His 2026 Africa Tour

China's Wang Yi kicked off a four-nation, week-long Africa tour this week, marking a signature tradition for Beijing: making the continent the foreign minister's first overseas trip of the new year.

Wang visited Ethiopia and will also travel to Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho in southern Africa.

Ovigwe Eguegu, a Nigeria-based policy analyst for Development Reimagined, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss why these four countries made the itinerary, and what Beijing may be signaling geopolitically and economically.

📌 Topics covered include:

• Why Africa is China's first diplomatic stop in 2026
• Somalia Somaliland and great power competition
• Ethiopia debt diplomacy and AU politics
• Tanzania ports and the TAZARA railway
• Lesotho tariffs AGOA fallout and symbolism
• China positioning itself as a multilateral partner in Africa

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