0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, December 28, 2024
by Xinhua writers Habtamu Worku, Liu Fangqiang
ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- As 2024 comes to an end, the relationship between Ethiopia and China has reached new heights, with their ties solidified as pivotal partners on bilateral and global stages.
Following the elevation of their ties to an all-weather strategic partnership in 2023, the two countries have further reinforced their collaboration across various sectors throughout 2024, with enhanced diplomatic and high-level exchanges, robust trade and economic collaboration, and effective capacity development and knowledge transfer.
The two countries have also witnessed fruitful results in socioeconomic and people-to-people ties, showcasing the depth and breadth of their partnership.
HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENTS
The year was marked by high-level meetings and engagements between the two countries' leaders, with both sides emphasizing their joint commitment to further elevating the enduring relations to new heights.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Beijing in September on the margins of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), said China-Ethiopia relations are an example of friendly cooperation between China and Africa.
Noting that China's policies toward Ethiopia fully demonstrate equality and mutual respect under mutually beneficial bilateral ties, the Ethiopian PM underscored the East African country's willingness to work with China to continue the firm mutual support and promote their all-weather strategic partnership to yield more results.
In his meeting with Abiy on the margins of the FOCAC summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang also asserted Beijing's support for Ethiopia to fully integrate into BRICS cooperation and the readiness to advance Global South cooperation with Ethiopia.
During a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Hailemariam Dessalegn, Ethiopia's former prime minister, said the two countries' relations have seen new heights in recent years.
China's historic and enduring relationship with Ethiopia and the broader African continent has evolved over the years with win-win outcomes for both sides, he said.
The year 2024 also marked a significant milestone in Sino-Ethiopian cooperation on the global stage, highlighted by Addis Ababa's full membership in the BRICS mechanism in January.
BLOSSOMING SOCIOECONOMIC TIES
The growing ties between China and Ethiopia are fostering significant advancements across various sectors, with Chinese investments providing a vital boost to Ethiopia's development, particularly in infrastructure, capacity-building, and manufacturing.
These investments are not only channeling much-needed foreign direct investment into the country but also creating abundant job opportunities.
Earlier this year, the Ethiopian government announced a ban on imports of gasoline or diesel vehicles to fast-track its ambitious green transition. At the moment, more than 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) are on the road across Ethiopia, among which a large portion are imported from China.
In 2024, a growing number of Chinese EV companies began to engage in the import, production and assembly of EVs in the East African country, such as China's Golden Dragon and BYD to tap into the great market potential of Ethiopia, while helping the country advance its transition to electric mobility.
Data from the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) highlights the increasing presence of Chinese investors, both in terms of the number of projects and the value of capital inflow, which has invigorated Ethiopia's economic ambitions.
According to the EIC, more than 8.5 billion U.S. dollars, involving over 3,300 Chinese projects, has been invested in Ethiopia in recent years, resulting in the creation of more than 325,400 permanent and temporary jobs for Ethiopians.
Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa, has long been committed to deepening cooperation with China in industrial park development, with the long-term goal of becoming the continent's manufacturing hub.
China's "significant contribution" to Ethiopia's economy, especially job creation, has been acknowledged by the Ethiopian Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC), a public enterprise overseeing the country's manufacturing sector.
IPDC officials praised Chinese investors for their meaningful operations in the nation's industrial parks and its first free trade zone, the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone.
Fisseha Yitagesu, IPDC chief executive officer, said Chinese businesses form the largest group of foreign investors in Ethiopia's 13 industrial parks and the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone, which the IPDC manages.
STRENGTHENING CAPACITY-BUILDING, PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES
As a vivid reflection of the two countries' deepening relations, 2024 saw significant progress in their multifaceted cooperation, particularly in capacity-building and people-to-people exchanges.
In line with its broader commitment to knowledge and skill transfer, China offers scholarship opportunities that benefit thousands of Ethiopian students. Additionally, Chinese experts have been dispatched to assist Ethiopia in various developmental efforts.
These initiatives, which particularly benefit Ethiopia's burgeoning youth population, have won plaudits from Ethiopian officials and experts. They emphasized that China is playing a vital role in supporting vocational training, skills development, and capacity-building for academic institutions in Ethiopia.
Martha Wolde, the lead executive officer for the technical and vocational education and training sector at Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor and Skills, said recently that China's involvement in capacity and skills development is providing essential support to the Ethiopian government's efforts to promote diverse growth within its workforce.
According to Habtamu Mulugeta, deputy director-general for research and community services at Ethiopia's Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute, the strong partnership with Chinese educational institutions and enterprises is enabling the institute to achieve significant results in research and talent development.
The institute, formerly known as the Ethiopia-China Polytechnic College, has played a significant role in advancing Ethiopia's technical and vocational education. It also houses the Chinese-built Ethiopian Luban Workshop, which has successfully conducted 37 training programs since its establishment in April 2021, training over 1,000 local teachers and students, a key achievement in China-Ethiopia vocational education cooperation.
Samuel Kifle, president of Addis Ababa University (AAU), which has been awarded successive batches of scholarship opportunities by China, said the AAU has collaborated with the Chinese government as well as various Chinese universities and institutes over the years.
"We are very much grateful to the Chinese government for all the efforts and the support that they have extended to our country, and particularly to Addis Ababa University, to make our journey of being an academic excellence much easier than we have thought," Kifle said recently.
In December, the first China-Ethiopia Film and TV Festival commenced at the AAU, marking a new partnership in the creative industry, strengthening cross-culture exchanges, and sharing knowledge, technologies and experiences.
BOND OF FRIENDSHIP
After recently visiting Yirgacheffe, a renowned coffee-growing region in south Ethiopia, the newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai praised Ethiopian coffee for being an important bond of friendship between the two countries.
"Just as the Maritime Silk Road brought tea and porcelain to the East African coast, today Ethiopian coffee is entering households across China. The two-way exchange of coffee and tea is bringing the two countries' cultures and people closer," Chen said.
Going forward, the two countries will further solidify their relationship across various sectors, such as economy and trade, especially exports of agricultural products to China, space technology, Earth science, and green and low-carbon development, as agreed by leaders from both sides during the FOCAC summit.
Ethiopia's rich civilization, abundant resources, and favorable geographical location can be fully transformed into powerful drivers for development. Coffee cooperation between China and Ethiopia, a symbol of the broader bilateral ties, will undoubtedly write a more vivid chapter. On the journey toward modernization, China will always be a partner with Ethiopia, the ambassador noted. Enditem
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)