ISTANBUL

China and Africa are “rising irresistibly,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, noting that the world was “undergoing profound changes” amid the “law of the jungle.”

Wang made the remarks at the African Union (AU) headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, according to Chinese state-run Xinhua news.

“The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with major historical shifts taking place in the international landscape," Wang said Thursday, stressing that the Global South, represented by China and Africa, is "rising irresistibly.”

Wang is on a four-nation Africa trip, meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, where the AU headquarters is located.

Later, addressing the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Wang said the world “remains far from peaceful.”

“The law of the jungle runs counter to international law and the basic norms of international relations, while power politics and acts of bullying infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries,” Wang said.

Notably, Beijing has increased its criticism of unilateral actions as well as sanctions in the wake of the US military operation against Venezuela last week, during which the American forces captured President Nicholas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from Caracas.

China blasted the US actions as “shocking,” condemned the military raid and sought the immediate release of Maduro and Flores.

“In the face of a turbulent world, China and Africa more than ever need to uphold fairness and justice, strengthen solidarity and mutual support, and deepen exchanges and cooperation,” Wang told the AU officials.

China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with trade reaching $314 billion in the first 11 months of 2025.

Last year also marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Following his engagements in Ethiopia, Wang is scheduled to visit Somalia and Tanzania before concluding his African tour in Lesotho on Jan. 12.

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.