Chinese and Ethiopian Officials Advocate for Strengthened China-Africa Cooperation

Addis Ababa, The Gulf Observer: Chinese and Ethiopian officials on Tuesday emphasized the need to enhance multifaceted cooperation between China and Africa under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The call was made during a high-level conference titled “Revisiting Ethiopia’s Role in the FOCAC and the Way Forward” held in Addis Ababa.

Eshete Tilahun, head of the Office of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted FOCAC’s effectiveness as a platform for promoting Africa-China cooperation. He noted that FOCAC has been pivotal in supporting critical infrastructure development, enhancing connectivity, boosting trade activities, attracting foreign direct investment, and fostering entrepreneurship across Africa.

“Since its inception in 2000, FOCAC has been instrumental in fostering cooperation. It is a testament to the shared aspiration, mutual respect, and collaborative spirit between China and Africa,” Tilahun stated. He emphasized that through FOCAC, Africa and China have embarked on a journey marked by dialogue, exchange of views, and joint efforts aimed at promoting sustainable development through expanded infrastructure and people-to-people connectivity.

Yang Yihang, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, echoed these sentiments, noting that China-Africa cooperation, facilitated by the FOCAC framework, has yielded significant results. “China has been Africa’s largest trade partner for 15 consecutive years,” Yang remarked. He detailed that by the end of 2023, over 500 Chinese enterprises had invested in more than 2,000 projects in Ethiopia, with a cumulative investment of about $5 billion, creating 580,000 job opportunities.

Yang also highlighted the importance of African countries creating a favorable business environment to attract more investment. He affirmed that China would further encourage its companies to explore investment opportunities in Ethiopia and Africa, particularly in infrastructure, the digital economy, renewable energy, and agriculture.

Anteneh Getachew, director general of Asia and Pacific Affairs at the Ethiopian Institute of Foreign Affairs, underscored the conference’s objective to evaluate Ethiopia’s proactive approach in promoting multifaceted cooperation between Africa and China through the FOCAC platform. Organized by the Ethiopian Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, the conference aimed to identify future areas of cooperation and enhance Ethiopia’s role within FOCAC.

The conference underscored the continued commitment of both China and Ethiopia to leverage the FOCAC framework to drive sustainable development and strengthen the ties between China and Africa.