He was welcomed in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday morning by his Ethiopian counterpart Demeke Mekonnen.

Mr Qin, who until recently was ambassador to the US, became the foreign minister in late December.

He is expected to meet senior African Union officials during his trip in Ethiopia and visit the Chinese-funded headquarters for the continent’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Addis Ababa.

Mr Qin will thereafter proceed to Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt.

China is a major trading partner with African countries.