China ready to promote flagship Belt and Road project, boost trade, investment with Ethiopia: Premier Li

RIO DE JANEIRO -- China stands ready to work with Ethiopia to promote the sustainable development of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, a flagship project of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and expand bilateral trade and investment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Sunday.

Li made the remarks during his meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ethiopia 55 years ago, the two countries have always treated each other sincerely and supported each other no matter how the international situation has changed, Li noted. The cooperation between the two sides has long been at the forefront of China-Africa cooperation, he added.

Li said Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in June, announcing new important measures such as implementing the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines for 53 African countries which have diplomatic relations with China.

Li said China will take the new measures as opportunities to work with Ethiopia to fully deliver the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC.

The Chinese premier called for deepening bilateral all-around cooperation and making bilateral relations a model for building the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

China will, as always, support Ethiopia in independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, work with Ethiopia to deepen cooperation in infrastructure, new energy vehicles, green industries, e-commerce and artificial intelligence, and intensify exchanges in tourism, youth, education and other fields, Li said.

Noting that both China and Ethiopia are important Global South countries, Li said China will join hands with Ethiopia to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks like the United Nations and BRICS, boost concerted efforts by all parties to practice true multilateralism, firmly safeguard economic globalization and free trade, and inject more stability and positive energy into the world.

For his part, Abiy said Ethiopia and China are reliable all-weather strategic partners, and his country sincerely appreciates China for its long-standing support and assistance in Ethiopia's economic and social development.

Ethiopia also highly values China's efforts to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing summit, he added.

Noting that China plays a very important role in international affairs, especially in the cause of global development, Abiy said Ethiopia stands ready to intensify high-level exchanges with China and deepen mutual political trust.

The Ethiopian side looks to work with China to bolster cooperation in economy and trade, industry, mining, communications, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, tourism and other areas, and strengthen multilateral communication and coordination, so as to promote the steady and in-depth development of bilateral relations.

The Chinese premier arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS Summit.