China's envoys to visit Ethiopia, Djibouti, Egypt and Eritrea in November

Liu Xianfa, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs, will visit Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt in early and mid-November, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at the ministry's regular press conference on 2 November. Hu Changchun, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, will visit Eritrea in early November.

Mao Ning was answering a question from the Global Times about the special envoys China has said it will send to the Middle East, the Gulf region, the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. She also said Zhai Jun, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue, will visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early and mid-November.

Mao Ning said the visits are meant to carry out the initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping on promoting peace and security in the Middle East, and the four principles on the constructive participation of relevant parties in the resolution of African hotspot issues.

She called the trips "shuttle diplomacy visits" by Chinese special envoys and the special representative and said they are "aimed at promoting peace talks, easing tensions, and playing a constructive role in upholding regional peace and stability".