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China-Africa relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China pledges support for reconstruction efforts in war-torn Ethiopia

  • Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing would encourage more Chinese investment there during talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
  • Qin also attended a ceremony to open the new Chinese-financed Africa CDC headquarters in Addis Ababa, his first stop on a week-long tour

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang meet for talks in Addis Ababa on Tuesday. Photo: AFP/Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office
Jevans Nyabiage
China will support reconstruction efforts in the northern region of Ethiopia devastated by the Tigray war, newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang said.
Qin made the pledge during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday, his first stop on a week-long tour of five African nations.

Beijing was willing to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields and would “encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Ethiopia and participate in the reconstruction process”, he said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

Qin said China had sent food, vaccines and other humanitarian aid to help people in war-torn areas. “We will continue to do so and will be actively involved in rebuilding conflict-affected areas,” he added.

During the talks, Qin also expressed hope that Ethiopia would provide a good business environment and take effective measures to protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese workers and institutions.

China evacuated about 600 citizens working on engineering projects and industrial parks in Tigray in 2020, when fighting broke out between the Ethiopian National Defence Force and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Many of the Chinese companies had to suspend operations.

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