On the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to strengthen ties under the Belt & Road Initiative. Premier Li expressed China’s readiness to advance sustainable development on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, a flagship BRI project in Africa, while expanding China–Ethiopia trade and investment partnerships.
Marking 55 years of diplomatic relations, Li highlighted their enduring cooperation. He also referenced China’s commitment and the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of FOCAC in June and the zero-tariff access for 100 percent tariff lines across 53 African countries, signaling deeper economic integration.
Li emphasized that Ethiopia–China cooperation should serve as a model for an “all-round China–Africa community with a shared future.” He added that they will strengthen coordination within global bodies like the UN and BRICS to bolster multilateralism and defend free trade.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reciprocated the sentiment, describing Ethiopia and China as “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.
He welcomed China’s support of Addis Ababa’s development and expressed Ethiopia’s intent to further deepen cooperation in trade, infrastructure, AI, and tourism, while enhancing multilateral alignment. 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.
