Djibouti's foreign minister to visit China from 19 to 25 October

Djibouti's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, will make an official visit to China from 19 to 25 October, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on 16 October.

The invitation comes from Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China's foreign minister, according to the ministry's transcript of the regular press briefing.

The same announcement said the foreign minister of the Republic of the Congo, Constant-Serge Bounda, will also make an official visit to China from 19 to 25 October, again at Wang's invitation. Bounda's title is Minister of Foreign Affairs, La Francophonie and Congolese Abroad. Xinhua carried both announcements on 16 October.

Omar met Wang in Changsha on 11 June 2025, according to the ministry's account of that meeting. Wang said then that, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Djibouti's President Guelleh, relations were keeping a good momentum. He said that during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the two countries' presidents had decided to raise ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Wang also said China was ready to work with Djibouti to build an economic development and prosperity belt along the Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway and to help Djibouti become a regional trade and logistics hub.

In the same meeting, Wang said China would continue to support Djibouti in serving as rotating chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Omar thanked China for that support and said the two sides were ready to work together to keep the region at peace.

Omar said Djibouti and China are true and good friends, and that Djibouti cherishes its strategic partnership with China and wants continued mutual support. He also said Djibouti firmly supports multilateralism and opposes unilateralism.