The South China Morning Post published on 4 August 2025 an article titled "China Pledges Support for Peaceful Development in Horn of Africa" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China's Horn of Africa special envoy Xue Bing told participants at the 3rd Horn of Africa Conference on Peace and Development held in Uganda that Beijing promotes economic development as a solution to resolving conflict in the region.
China-Africa Security Radar published on 3 August 2025 an article titled "China in the Horn of Africa."
Uganda hosted on 29 August the 3rd Conference on Peace and Development with attendance by officials from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and China's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Xue Bing. China provided its analysis of the Horn of Africa's security challenges.
Comment: As with the previous two conferences, this appears to have been a talk shop with no tangible programs agreed upon for actually resolving conflict in the Horn of Africa.
Ugdiplomat posted on 19 June 2025 an article titled "Uganda, China Hold Talks Ahead of Horn of Africa Conference."
Uganda's foreign minister met with China's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, to discuss plans for the Third Horn of Africa Peace Conference in Kampala at the end of July.
Comment: The first two China-organized Horn of Africa peace conferences resulted in platitudinous concluding statements but no tangible results. There is no reason to believe the third conference will be any different.
The South China Morning Post published on 28 January 2025 an article titled "China's Strategy for Peace in Horn of Africa Is Slow-going, But Will It Ever Reap Rewards?" by Jevans Nyabiage.
Questions remain whether China's emphasis on dialogue and development will ever bring peace to the conflict prone Horn of Africa.
The South China Morning Post published on 19 December 2024 an article titled "China Stands Behind Somalia amid US Push for Somaliland Recognition" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China's special envoy for the Horn of Africa visited Mogadishu to assure the Somali government of Beijing's support as reports persist that the incoming Trump administration may recognize the independence of Somaliland.
China's Global Times published on 25 June 2024 an article titled "China, Horn of Africa Countries Set to Push Forward Bilateral Cooperation" by Shan Jie.
China hosted this week the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference in Beijing with officials from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda in attendance. The participants professed to be guided by China's Global Security Initiative and agreed to focus on development in the Horn of Africa.
Comment: In terms of mitigating or ending conflict in the Horn of Africa, this initiative by China has not yet demonstrated any tangible program or action. So far, it has been a collective photo op for the participants. Eritrea was notably absent.
Eritrea's Ministry of Information posted on 15 December 2023 a press release titled "President Isaias Holds Talks with Special Envoy of China."
China's special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, met in Asmara on 15 December with President Isaias Afwerki. The stated purpose of the meeting was to implement the joint agreement reached last May between Isaias and President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Comment: Xue Bing's stop in Asmara follows a longer and more substantive visit to Ethiopia. The meeting with Isaias looks like an effort to touch a necessary base before leaving the region.
The South China Morning Post published on 17 December 2023 an article titled "China Tests Diplomatic Prowess in Ethiopia as It Rebuilds after Tigray War" by Jevans Nyabiage.
The war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region, where Chinese companies were involved in several large construction and manufacturing projects, was a setback for Chinese engagement in the country. Now that the war is over, China hopes to resume its projects in Tigray and expand its influence throughout the country.
The APO Group, a Pan-African press release distribution service, posted on behalf of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 15 December 2023 an article titled "Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Xue Bing Visits Tigray Region of Ethiopia."
While visiting Tigray Region, Xue Bing said China is willing to actively participate in the post-conflict reconstruction of the region and expects Chinese companies to restart projects in the region interrupted by the outbreak of conflict.
The APO Group also distributed on 15 December 2023 on behalf of China's Foreign Ministry a press release titled "Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Xue Bing Visits Afar Region of Ethiopia."
During this part of the visit, Xue Bing said China is prepared to engage in post-conflict reconstruction but provided no specifics.
Comment: Chinese companies were engaged in several large construction and manufacturing projects in Tigray Region before the outbreak of conflict in November 2020. Xue Bing's visit signals a willingness to resume those projects in Tigray Region. So far, China has not played a significant role in the peace process and there is no indication it plans to do so as a result of this visit.
The South China Morning Post published on 7 May 2023 an article titled "Why China May Be Reluctant to Get Too Deeply Involved in Sudan Peace Effort" by Jevans Nyabiage.
The China National Petroleum Corporation has significant investments in Sudan and South Sudan. In spite of earlier efforts to resolve conflicts in Sudan's Darfur region and South Sudan's civil war, China does not appear to be engaging in any major way to bring an end to the current power struggle between the Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
The South China Morning Post published on 27 March 2023 an article titled "In Ethiopia, China and the US Map Rival Roads to Lasting Peace" by Jevans Nyabiage.
The article contrasts the efforts by the United States and China to achieve peace in Ethiopia. The US turned to sanctions in support of the African Union-led peace process while China called for dialogue and an Ethiopian solution.
The South China Morning Post published on 12 January 2023 an article titled "China Pledges Support for Reconstruction Efforts in War-Torn Ethiopia" by Jevans Nyabiage.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang began his Africa tour with a stop in Ethiopia where he commented that China has provided food, vaccines, and humanitarian aid to war torn areas of Ethiopia and will engage actively in rebuilding conflict-affected areas.
Comment: While China has been a major source of loans for Ethiopia this century, it has provided minimal humanitarian assistance in the past or during the two year civil war. The United States has provided on a grant basis most of the humanitarian aid. Nor did the foreign minister provide any details on the nature of China's assistance for rebuilding conflict-affected areas.
The South China Morning Post published on 27 November 2022 an article titled "Is China Ready to Take a Front Seat to Help Resolve Conflicts in the Horn of Africa?" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China has taken a back seat in efforts to end conflicts in the Horn of Africa, including the one in Ethiopia's Tigray Region, South Sudan, and the Greand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Berlin-based Megatrends Afrika published in October 2022 a study titled "China's Horn of Africa Initiative: Fostering or Fragmenting Peace?" by Karoline Eickhoff and Nadine Godehardt.
Security cooperation has become vital for protecting China's interests and investments in Africa, especially in the Horn of Africa. China recently launched the "Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa" and appointed its first special envoy for the region. Both steps suggest that China sees a potential opportunity to become a more prominent development and security provider in the region. The Horn of Africa has become a litmus test for China's evolving approach to integrated development and security. The question now is how China translates these abstract policy formulations into practice.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 12 October 2022 an analysis titled "China's Diplomacy in the Horn--Conflict Mediation as Power Politics" by Paul Nantulya.
China's most recent initiative to "mediate" conflicts in the Horn of Africa, including the appointment of Xue Bing as its special envoy for the region, has triggered intense speculation and confusion. China's approach of strengthening ruling governments means it is not viewed as an impartial actor--breaking a core rule of mediation. Its actions so far raise questions about the goals of its initiative.
The South China Morning Post published on 25 September 2022 an article titled "Chinese Envoy Opposes Foreign Intervention in Horn of Africa on Return to Ethiopia" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China rejects foreign intervention in the Horn of Africa and believes conflict can be resolved through dialogue and economic development. Nor does China have any interest in trying to mediate complicated conflicts in the Horn of Africa.
The New York Times published on 25 July 2022 an article titled "Where China Is Changing Its Diplomatic Ways (at Least a Little)" by Jane Perlez.
China is starting a new wave of diplomacy in Africa, where it dominates trade with resource-rich nations and keeps friendly ties with mostly authoritarian leaders, unfettered by competition from the West. China is adjusting its approach, more closely integrating financial and diplomatic efforts.
The South China Morning Post published on 17 July 2022 an article titled "Chinese Diplomats Flock to Africa in Response to Western Charm Offensive" by Jevans Nyabiage.
Senior Chinese diplomats have made numerous visits to Africa over the past month. There is no particular pattern to the countries selected. Part of the explanation may be a pent-up need to travel in the aftermath of the COVID-19 travel interruptions.
The Observer Research Foundation published on 5 July 2022 a commentary titled "China's Conflict Mediation in the Horn of Africa: Only Rhetoric or Practical?" by Abhishek Mishra.
The conference ultimately failed to deliver on its stated aim of discussing China's mediation efforts in the Horn of Africa.
Al-Monitor published on 2 July 2022 an article titled "Nile Dispute Absent from First Peace Conference Led by China to Settle Conflicts in Horn of Africa" by Mohamed Saied.
The article notes that the dispute among Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was not on the agenda of China's Horn of Africa peace conference in Addis Ababa held in June.
Comment: While this is true, it does not appear that Chinese mediation on any of the disputes in the Horn of Africa was on the agenda. China's response is African solutions for African problems. In other words, let the status quo prevail. There is no obvious change to China's approach to dispute resolution in the region.
