Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, set off to visit France, Italy, Hungary and Russia on February 14, and was invited to attend the 59th Munich Security Conference.
Since the Russian side has released a lot of news that Xi Jinping will visit Russia in the spring, many people believe that the most important itinerary of Wang Yi's visit is to pave the way for Xi Jinping's visit to Russia this spring.
Xi Jinping has visited Russia several times since becoming Chinese president in 2013.
Before his visit to Russia in March 2013, the then Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Russia in February of that year to pave the way.
In May 2015, Xi Jinping went to Russia to attend the celebration commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War and visited Russia. In April of that year, then Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also visited Moscow first.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the news of Wang Yi's visit.
(Screenshot from the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China)
Since then, Xi Jinping visited Russia in July 2017, and then Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Russia in May of that year.
Xi Jinping visited Russia in June 2019, and Wang Yi also visited Russia in May of that year.
If Xi Jinping visits Russia this spring, it will be a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, not the foreign minister, who will pave the way for his visit this spring.
This specification is obviously higher than before.
Is it because the upgrade of Sino-Russian relations paves the way for Xi Jinping's visit to Russia?
Or is there going to be a major event between China and Russia, so such high-level officials were sent?
Another noteworthy detail is that Wang Yi will also attend the 59th Munich Security Conference during his visit.
On May 25, 2021, Wang Yi delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference via video.
(Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China)
In addition to Yang Jiechi, then director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, who participated in the Munich Security Conference in 2019, Fu Ying, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China, attended the meeting as a Chinese representative in 2018. , all of which were attended by then Foreign Minister Wang Yi via video.
The Munich Security Conference in 2017 was also attended by the then Foreign Minister Wang Yi who went to Germany to attend.
At present, Wang Yi has been promoted to the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, and China's new foreign minister is Qin Gang.
Wang Yi continues to participate in the Munich Security Conference. Is it because China has raised the standard of participation to a new height, or is the new Foreign Minister Qin Gang's diplomatic responsibilities yet to be redefined?
Against the backdrop of high-profile conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing stalemate in Sino-US relations, Wang Yi's visit is an important opportunity to explain China's position to the West.
Wang Yi's high-level visit itself represents the positive response of China's diplomacy.
Wang Yi's visit to Russia and China: play a role in world peace Japanese media: Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng is arranging a meeting with Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference｜Blinken will meet Wang Yi?
U.S. State Department: No plan yet Wang Yi visits France, Italy, Hungary, Russia and Germany, and may meet with Blinken according to reports