Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) conducted exclusive interview with H.E. Zhao Zhiyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, and discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues as well as issues of common concerns; the following are excerpts from the interview. Question: First, we would like to thank you for your willingness to have an interview with ENA, just to kick off, recently, an Ethiopian high-level delegation paid an official visit to China; how do you look at its importance in refreshing the bilateral relationship between these two countries? Amb Zhao Zhiyuan: We are very pleased to see the successful visit to China of the delegation led by H.E. Ahmed Shide, which has further advanced bilateral economic and trade relations. During the visit, the 10th Session of Economic, Scientific, technical Cooperation and Trade Joint Commission was held with the Ministry of Commerce. This is the first meeting of this kind between China and an African country in 2023, which fully reflects the good wishes of the two governments to deepen cooperation and common development. H.E. Ahmed Shide’s visit to China and the convening of the joint commission have injected new impetus to the relationship between the two countries, contributing to the building of China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. During the visit, China and Ethiopia have achieved fruitful economic and trade cooperation results: （1）Bilateral field. China and Ethiopia had discussions on expanding cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, development assistance, infrastructure construction, and debt treatment, and reached a series of consensus. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of an investment and economic cooperation working group, which is of great significance for strengthening the construction of bilateral economic cooperation mechanisms and increasing policy support for economic and trade cooperation. （2）Attracting investment. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on boosting Chinese investment in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has a vast market and huge development potential. Investment in key areas has always been an important part of the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese side stated that it will continue to encourage and support domestic enterprises to participate in investment in Ethiopia’s agriculture, tourism, medicine, energy, mining, telecommunications and other fields. During the Minister of Finance’s visit to China this time, an investment promotion meeting was held by the Ethiopian Embassy to actively promote investment opportunities in Ethiopia and hold discussions with Chinese-funded enterprises, which achieved good results. （3）Promoting trade. In recent years, the trade volume between China and Ethiopia has continued to increase, and the channels for Ethiopia to export coffee and other specialty products to China have been continuously smoothed, which has become a new highlight of China-Ethiopia economic and trade cooperation. During the meeting with H.E. Ahmed Shide, the Chinese side warmly welcomed the Ethiopian side to continue to actively participate in exhibition platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the Import and Export Fair, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, and at the same time make full use of the tariff-free treatment for 98 percent of products exported to China. China will work with Ethiopia to continuously optimize the trade structure between the two countries, and to develop measures to further facilitate the export of Ethiopian products to China. Question: Ethiopia and China have enjoyed good bilateral economic relations over the past decades. In light of this, what are you doing on your capacity and the embassy at large to diversify and further strengthen these partnerships in the years to come? Amb Zhao Zhiyuan: The Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia has been taking practical actions to attract more Chinese companies to invest in Ethiopia and help Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry take off. In the past six months, I have traveled to almost all the states and major cities in Ethiopia, focusing on the main local industrial parks and manufacturing enterprises to get a comprehensive understanding of the development of Ethiopia’s industry, and thinking about the paths and methods for Chinese enterprises to participate in developing Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry. The Chinese Embassy has also been advocating the advantages and potential of the Ethiopian market to Chinese companies, sharing market information in a timely manner, and actively coordinating relevant parties to help Chinese investors establish contact with the competent authorities in Ethiopia. We are also actively working with the Ethiopian side to jointly improve the business environment by holding business environment workshops to solve the difficulties encountered by enterprises in Ethiopia and attract more enterprises to invest in this country. The Chinese Embassy will continue to spare no effort to strengthen cooperation in the manufacturing industry between China and Ethiopia, and explore deeper cooperation in areas such as the construction of special economic zones. Question; China is making great strides in applying science and technology in multiple sectors as an important drive to its development; hence, what are some of the activities being carried out to facilitate sharing experience and knowledge transfer? Amb Zhao Zhiyuan: We are very pleased to see that Ethiopia has placed scientific and technological development in an important position in its national strategy in recent years, and we are also supporting Ethiopia’s scientific and technological development in our own way. The first is to strengthen cooperation in knowledge and skills. In 2022, the Ministry of Commerce of China enrolled 380 Ethiopian students in degree programs, and provided high-quality short-term capacity building programs for more than 2,000 students from various departments in Ethiopia, offering valuable opportunities for Ethiopian government officials and experts to learn advanced science and technology in China. In the future, we will also strengthen communication with relevant domestic and Ethiopian departments, optimize the capacity building programs to promote more effective transfer of advanced technology to Ethiopia. The second is to encourage high-tech enterprises to deeply engage in the Ethiopian market. Our enterprises in telecommunications, medicine, agriculture and other fields have gone into production and operation in Ethiopia for many years, which has not only promoted the economic development of Ethiopia, but also introduced advanced technology to the country. Next, we will also encourage more high-tech industries to invest in Ethiopia, so as to drive the development of science and technology through industrial development. The third is to focus on cultivating local high-tech enterprises in Ethiopia. Ethiopian enterprises are good at innovation, and many excellent start-ups have emerged. As long as we continue to pay attention and create an environment, I believe that the overall technological development has a promising future. Question: The conflict in the northern parts of Ethiopia has ended with a peace agreement. However, reconstructing these war-torn regions demand a huge amount of resources. In this respect, what is China doing to support the Ethiopian government in its effort to rehabilitate the regions? We welcome and appreciate the peace agreement reached by relevant parties under the auspices of the African Union. We hope that the peace agreement will be implemented smoothly and Ethiopia will restore prosperity and stability as soon as possible, and at the same time focus on economic and social construction. Ethiopia is the “anchor of stability” in the Horn of Africa. We believe that peace and stability in Ethiopia is also of great significance to the long-term stability of the region. China is willing to actively participate in Ethiopia’s post-war reconstruction and provide support to Ethiopia in the fields of humanitarian aid, health and education. At the same time, when the time is mature, we will actively promote investment and trade cooperation to help Ethiopia realize rapid economic and social development, and improve the living standards of the Ethiopian people. At present, I am closely following the situation in the north to make preparations for China’s participation in the reconstruction progress. Question: China recently released the concept paper for its Global Security Initiative; as a result, how will you collaborate with Ethiopia to maintain peace and security throughout the region of Horn of Africa? Amb Zhao Zhiyuan: Chinese president Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI) in 2022, which has received extensive endorsement. To maintain the peace and security in the Horn of Africa as a whole, China is ready to conduct cooperation to actively implement the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa on the basis of the GSI. Since China put forward the outlook, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has visited countries in the region for many times. China supported Ethiopia in the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference, which was a resounding success, making great contributions to the peace and development of the region. Together with Ethiopia and other countries in the region, China will continue intra-regional dialogues, accelerate the revitalization of the region and support our African friends in an African solution to African problems. Based on respect for countries in the region, China will play a constructive role in properly handling hotspot issues and actively contribute China's solution and strength to the peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

  BY SOLOMON DIBABA Ethiopia and the United States have enjoyed warm government-to-government and people-to-people relations for well over a century. The ties have transcended the passage of time and the changes of governments and political systems in both countries. Formal Ethio-US relations date back to December 1903 following nine days of meetings in Ethiopia between the government of Ethiopia and Robert P. Skinner, an emissary of President Theodore Roosevelt. Ethiopia appreciated America’s commercial interest in Ethiopia, and that the United States did not possess colonial designs similar to those that were designed by colonial forces. Then, the talks which Ethiopia and the United States had held yielded a joint document known as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. This agreement accorded Ethiopia Most Favored Nation status and eventually led to full diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over the past several decades, Ethiopia has remained a partner with the US in a battle against terrorism. It is to be recalled the US government and US based international NGOs have rendered immense contribution to roll back the 1984-85 food shortage crisis and recurrent drought that plagued the country. Given its geopolitical locations, Ethiopia has been a strong ally for the United States for many decades. Apart from government to government relations, people to people relations between the two countries have remained strong. Suffice to mention, the number of Ethiopian diaspora residing in the United States. Further, the two countries have enjoyed multiple development and economic cooperation for many decades.For instance, the Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines have demonstrated strong partnerships. Regarding development cooperation, since 1961, the USAID has continued to support various development programs including promotion of education, agricultural development programs including the US Peace Corp program for promoting cultural relations and expansion of modern education. The US provided support to Ethiopia in establishing Haramaya former Agricultural College and a number of agricultural colleges in Jimma, Bako and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture (then Debre Zeit Veterinary Science College) and a number of teachers training institutions across the country. Between 1953-1976, in line with the Mutual Defense Agreement Assistance, the US provided Ethiopia with defense armaments and trained military officers for the Ethiopian army and air force. Ethiopia shares a common interest with the US in ascertaining peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. The reform program that has been conducted in the country has been instrumental in further fostering the operational relations between the two countries in promoting democracy and good governance. Regular visits paid to Ethiopia by US officials including today’s visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have enormous implications in forging relations between the two countries, in the areas of economic cooperation, security and upscaling a united action against terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Climate change induced drought has repeatedly become a major bottleneck for the economic development of countries in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia. A number of countries of the Horn are still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the US can provide technological and economic development support in partnership with these countries. Ethiopia and the US need to engage in the areas of peace building in the Horn and the rest of Africa. The mutual support and partnership based economic relations between Ethiopia and the US need to be promoted for mutual benefits of both countries. Roughly speaking, more than 3 million Ethiopians and foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin constitute the diaspora population across the world and most of whom reside and work in the US, becoming a major force to further strengthen the relationship between Ethiopia and the US. Both Ethiopia and the US need to develop and exploit the positive influence that the Ethiopian diaspora could play in fostering the relationship between the two countries. Ethiopia is now hosting close to one million refugees from the neighboring countries and is providing protection in line with guiding principles and statutes of the UNHCR. On the other hand, the Ethiopian Government is actively working in rehabilitating hundreds of IDPs that were affected by the conflicts in various parts of the country. As a longstanding partner with Ethiopia, the US can support such efforts as it will help to promote sustained peace and stability in the country. Ethiopia unswervingly stands for peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and the US can effectively partner with the Government of Ethiopia in building sustained peace and stability to promote mutually beneficial interest of the two countries. The people to people relations between the two countries can be enhanced through public diplomacy between the peoples of both countries to further promote cross cultural exchanges that have developed between the two nations for over a century. The ongoing visit by the US Secretary of State to Ethiopia is therefore expected to enhance the relations between the two friendly countries based on mutual understanding, respect and cordial relations.