BEIJING: China's new president will pay a state visit to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo, foreign minister Yang Jiechi said Saturday.
Communist Party leader Xi Jinping is due to be named state president during the country's annual parliament session under way in Beijing. "China and Russia are each other's biggest neighbours," Yang told reporters at the meeting.
"We want to work with the Russian side to seize the opportunity... to inject new and strong impetus to the growth of the comprehensive strategic partnership"
Russia and China stand together on several global diplomatic issues, including the two-year conflict in Syria, where the two permanent UN Security Council members have blocked resolutions that would have introduced sanctions against Bashar al-Assad's regime.
China's resource-hungry economy obtains many of its raw materials from African countries, and its influence on the continent is growing.
"China and African countries are good brothers, good friends and good partners," said Yang, adding that the trip "fully demonstrates China's commitment to growing its relations with African countries".
While in South Africa the new president will attend the BRICS summit in Durban at the end of the month, which brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
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