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Download China's top diplomat has chosen four African countries to visit on his first trip abroad in the new year, a move that highlights the continent's importance in Beijing's diplomatic blueprint. Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins his six-day tour of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana and Senegal on Monday. Wang will arrive in Ethiopia at a time when bilateral trade between China and Africa reached $172.83 billion between January and October in 2013. Zhang Hongming, an African studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Africa, a major source of China's crude oil, rare metals and wood, has seen its status rise in China's development strategy. "China is playing a constructive role in Africa's development, and the continent needs more investment and funding," Zhang said. Every year, China provides training for 300 management personnel and technicians from Africa. China plans to provide $20 billion in loans for infrastructure construction. He Wenping, an expert on African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Wang's visit has dismissed widespread skepticism that "China now focuses on diplomacy with other major powers rather than those with developing nations". "Beijing has sent the signal that the African continent is still a supporting pillar of China's diplomatic strategy and the African countries still share a great common ground when China has become the second-largest economy in the world," He said. | 
