Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will pay official visits to five African nations and Saudi Arabia from Jan. 5 to 14 next year.

The five African countries include Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Algeria and Morocco, announced Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu?in Beijing?Thursday at a regular press conference.

Yang would pay the visit at the invitation of his counterparts from the above six nations in all, namely Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs Moses Wetangula, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ojo Maduekwe, Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Zainab Hawa Bangura, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mourad Medelci, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Taieb Fassi Fihri, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

During this tour, Yang will also visit the Maldives, Jiang said.