China committed to advancing bilateral ties with Ethiopia: envoy

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan has said China remains committed to promoting bilateral relations and high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Ethiopia.

Zhao made the remarks on Saturday at a banquet hosted by the Chinese embassy in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

"We will keep working with Ethiopia to push high-quality BRI cooperation to a new high," Zhao said while welcoming the guests and introducing a cultural troupe from central China's Henan Province.

Noting that China and Ethiopia have upgraded their bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership and Ethiopia has recently joined BRICS, the ambassador said cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, communication, finance, culture, education, and other fields will continue to gain momentum.

"We have worked together to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and strengthened practical cooperation in the joint building of the BRI and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation," Zhao said.

China remains committed to shouldering its responsibilities as a major power and always adheres to peaceful development and win-win cooperation with countries around the world, Zhao added.

The cultural troupe performed a stunning show of Chinese martial arts, opera, and acrobatics to the delight of the attendees, including the Chinese community and Ethiopian government officials.

The 2024 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, will fall on Feb. 10, kicking off the Year of the Dragon.