As a result of this, the Chinese government has been providing development assistance for Ethiopia on public health, agriculture, food aid, green development, manufacturing, water supply, transport, energy and other infrastructural fields since 1974.
From that time onwards, China has sent 21 medical teams comprising 300 medical personnel to Ethiopia and has contributed to the improvement of the health sector and they served Ethiopians selflessly.
But the largest Chinese aid in public health area could be Tirunesh Beijing Hospital that has taken shape in Addis Ababa with a Chinese grant of 16.5 million USD, says Chinese Ambassador Tan Jian in an interview with The Ethiopia Herald.
Agricultural cooperation is the other front, Chinese agricultural experts offer supports to their Ethiopian counterparts. Ethiopia-China Agricultural Technical Vocational Education has even become a model of agricultural cooperation to Africa.
“We also funded a lot of infrastructural projects such as the famous Gotera Flyover Project, Aba Samuel Hydropower Station Project and the upcoming Addis Ababa City Roads
[expansion]
Project,” Amb. Tan furthered.
In addition to the hard resources, China has been supplying soft assistance to Ethiopia. In support of human resource development, the Chinese government has trained over 7,000 different professionals under China aid framework in different cities of China since 2013, Ambassador Tan reiterated.
This included short-term training and degree programs covering various fields like public administration, business management, health and medical services, social affairs, agricultural and manufacturing industries. These contributed a lot to the development of the Ethiopian economy and society deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
Apart from all the above, the Chinese government has been providing food aid to Ethiopia. “In 2017, we have provided 100 million RMB (equivalent to 15 million USD) worth wheat and an additional 6 million USD donation to the World Food Program for Ethiopian drought victims.
This made China the third-largest food aid contributor to Ethiopia in the year,” Amb. Tan added.
In the same way, China has planned to provide an additional 22 million USD humanitarian food aid to Ethiopian friends who are in need in the period 2018-2019, he announced.
Equally, most recently the Chinese government has decided to augment its relations with Ethiopia through assisting the grand Beautifying Sheger Project. Ethiopia and China signed an agreement of 12 km. of the 56km project when Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed visited Beijing.
And the government of the Republic of China has sent a technical team for exploration and design works. “Our government has sent a technical team that is working in Addis Ababa for exploration and design works of the 12 kilometers riverside including a central square,” Amb. Tan Jian reiterated.
“Apart from ensuring the vision of Addis Ababa to be cleaner and greener, I believe the project has such grand objectives of changing the livelihood of its residents, reviving the city’s economy and boosting urban tourism and investment. Therefore, China will continue to support this project to beautify the capital and improve the livelihood of residents,” he reaffirmed.
“As stated by PM’s Office, I believe that it suffices to say the project will make the city to live up to its name as the equivalent meaning of Addis Ababa is new flower.
Therefore, the multilateral development cooperation between Ethiopia and China has been thriving than ever. As Ethiopia has already taken a new path through the ongoing reform, the assistances of partners like China need to be doubled and tripled.
The Ethiopian Herald July 5/2019
BY DIRRIBA TESHOME
