Role model for bilateral ties

China and Ethiopia have forged a sincere friendship over the past 50 years and are seizing the opportunities to deepen their relations

Fifty years ago, New China's first premier Zhou Enlai visited Ethiopia during his maiden trip to Africa. He was warmly welcomed by the Ethiopian Government and people, and his visit started friendly relations between the two countries. Fifty years later, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his first visit to Africa after he took office, made a point of arranging a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also chose Ethiopia as the start of his first trip to Africa. China and Ethiopia, indeed, attach great importance to the bilateral relations. They regard each other as offering priorities for strategic foreign policy choices.

Ethiopia and China are both heirs of ancient civilizations and 50 years are only a short period of time in our long histories, but the fruitful achievements of those years have forged China-Ethiopia relations our two peoples can be proud of and cherish.