Ethiopia and China are marking 55 years of diplomatic relations this year, a milestone underscored by the Ethiopian Ambassador to China, Tefera Derbew Yimam, who highlighted the "strong and deep" ties between the two nations.
Reflecting on his two-year tenure in China, Ambassador Tefera shared his impressions of the country's rapid development and its potential to further strengthen the economic partnership. He told China Daily that his extensive travels across China, encompassing nearly every province, left a lasting impression, particularly the advanced infrastructure in cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen.
"The way a (Shanghai) port operates impressed me the most, as loading and unloading are handled without human intervention," the ambassador noted, emphasizing the efficiency and technological prowess driving China's thriving economy.
Ethiopia is actively seeking to capitalize on these opportunities, launching an online Ethiopian National Pavilion on a Chinese e-commerce platform in January to boost its agricultural exports. The country's renowned organic and high-quality coffee remains a key export, experiencing growing demand from China's younger demographic, according to Ambassador Tefera.
Data from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority indicates a robust average annual growth rate of 27 percent in Ethiopia's coffee exports to China over the past three years. This surge was further evidenced during the sixth China International Import Expo, where online sales of Ethiopian coffee jumped by an impressive 300 percent.
The burgeoning trade relationship is reflected in the bilateral trade volume, which reached $3.55 billion in 2024, marking a significant 17.5 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to China's General Administration of Customs.
China currently stands as Ethiopia's largest trading partner and primary source of foreign investment, while Ethiopia is a key trading partner for China within the African continent.
Ambassador Tefera attributed this growing trade to enhanced connectivity facilitated by China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project proposed over a decade ago. "This would for sure boost our exports of agricultural commodities, coffee included, and other products," he stated.
The electrified transnational railway connecting Addis Ababa to Djibouti, a flagship project under the BRI framework, is playing a crucial role in streamlining trade, the ambassador explained. He further noted that the BRI aligns seamlessly with Ethiopia's ambitious 10-Year Development Plan (2021-30), which outlines the nation's vision for sustainable development.
Ambassador Tefera also highlighted China's significant support for Ethiopia's energy sector, particularly through major hydropower dams like the Genale Dawa III project and wind energy initiatives such as the Adama Wind Farm.
"We are pursuing a green economic development path and encouraging electric vehicle usage in Ethiopia," he said, pointing to his country's abundant green energy resources, coupled with a population of approximately 120 million and a growing middle class, as creating substantial potential for the EV market, a sector where China possesses significant expertise.
Over the past five and a half decades, the bilateral relationship between Ethiopia and China has evolved into an "all-weather strategic partnership," the ambassador emphasized. "Our people have benefited from this strong and deep partnership. Many job opportunities have been created through China's trade and investment," Tefera added.
He concluded by noting that these advancements are largely due to critical transportation and connectivity projects that are instrumental in modernizing Ethiopia, projects that require substantial financial investment, ENA leant.