Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Yi, at the National Palace, on the occasion of his two-day official visit to Ethiopia.

The visit is expected to include discussions on bilateral relations and regional issues of mutual interest.

China's foreign minister visit is part his Africa's tour, which includes Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho from Jan. 7 to 12.

During the trip, Wang will 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.