Strengthening China-Eritrea Partnership for Peace in Horn of Africa

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that strong China-Eritrea relations are key to bolstering peace in the Horn of Africa region and pursuing mutually beneficial development. Eritrea has strategic importance for China given its location on the Red Sea, one of the world's key shipping corridors. Last year China named senior diplomat Xue Bing to a newly created post of special envoy for the Horn of Africa, a geopolitically sensitive, conflict-wracked region where Beijing has significant investments.