Senegal: "Little Paris" of West Africa

President Xi Jinping is paying state visits to the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa from July 19 to 24, attend the 10th BRICS summit from July 25 to 27 in Johannesburg, then visit Mauritius for a stopover.

Senegal, known as the gateway to West Africa, is the largest salt producing country in the area. Xi's visit there is the first by a Chinese head of state in more than nine years and his first visit to a West African country.