China will continue supporting Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s investment hub: Ambassador

Addis Ababa, July 13, 2023 (FBC) – Chinese companies has contributed a lot in advancing job creation efforts, and improving livelihoods of thousands in Ethiopia over the past decade, Ambassador of China to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said.

In an exclusive interview with Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC), Ambassador Zhao Zhiyuan said that China will remain committed to supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to accelerate its socio-economic development. “I encourage the Chinese companies to become accelerators of Ethiopian economic growth,” he noted.

China is ready to enable its investors in Ethiopia to promote high quality socio-economic development in the country by fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities, he added.

The Ambassador expressed his optimism that more Chinese companies will join the Ethiopian investment climate soon thereby by supporting nation’s aspiration to become Africa’s investment hub.

“To implement high-quality development concepts requires stable employment, improved livelihood, cultural progress, and a healthy ecosystem, none of which can be done without real corporate social responsibility actions,” the ambassador said.

“We are ready to take our trade and investment ties with Ethiopia to the next level based on the Belt and Road Initiative which is bringing remarkable achievements over the decade,” the Ambassador pointed out.

Besides their active engagement in industrial parks of the country, Chinese companies have undertaken a wide range of projects in the areas of railway transportation, road infrastructures and communications enhancing Ethiopia’s capacity for sustainable development, he added.

Chinese companies have discharged their corporate social responsibilities, meaningfully contributing to the betterment of Ethiopians, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said, adding that there have been 1,835 Chinese direct investment projects with an accumulative investment of about 4.8 billion U.S. dollars, creating 560,000 job opportunities, in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia and 51 other African countries, plus the African Union Commission, have so far signed the Belt and Road cooperation documents with China.

By Wondesen Aregahegn