Seychelles Foreign Minister Barry Faure undertakes first official visit to Beijing |20 May 2026

Minister Faure during his meeting with Minister Wang

• President Xi Jinping extends cordial invitation to President Herminie for a 2027 State Visit to China

At the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Barry Faure, has concluded his first official visit to Beijing in his current ministerial capacity.

The historic visit forms a cornerstone of the activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations – a landmark partnership forged on June 30, 1976, just one day after Seychelles gained independence.

During their extensive bilateral talks, Minister Faure and Minister Wang focused heavily on preparations for an upcoming State Visit by the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, following a cordial invitation extended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Scheduled for a mutually agreeable window in the first quarter of 2027, President Herminie’s State Visit will serve as the pinnacle of the golden jubilee celebrations. The upcoming visit underscores a model partnership in international relations, demonstrating how robust and deep-rooted bilateral ties can flourish between two sovereign equals despite differences in geographic size, economic scale, and global geopolitical weight.

Minister Faure was accompanied at the talks by Anne Lafortune, Seychelles’ ambassador to China, and Jean-Luc Lai Lam, Tourism Attaché at the Seychelles embassy in Beijing.

The delegation’s engagements reinforced mutual commitments to deepening cooperation in tourism, cultural exchange, and strategic socio-economic development.

Press release – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora