Ethiopian scholar highlights deepening China-Africa ties in new book

Published: July 26,2023

Gebeyehu Ganga, director general of the Asia and Pacific Directorate at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaks during the launch ceremony for a new book entitled “Africa-China Relations – Ethiopia as a Case Study” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 15, 2023.  (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

A new book entitled “Africa-China Relations – Ethiopia as a Case Study” was launched Saturday showcasing the diverse and historic Sino-Africa ties, with particular emphasis on China-Ethiopia relations.

The book consists of seven chapters that highlight aspects including the policy of China towards Africa, the Ethiopia-China strategic partnership, as well as political cooperation between Africa and China. It also analyzed the successes of China-Africa relations during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic while assessing the wider picture of China-Africa relations in the 21st century.

The book was launched in the presence of senior Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, heads and representatives of different think tanks, as well as academia, among others.

Melaku Mulualem, the author of the book, who is a senior international relations and diplomacy researcher at Ethiopia’s Institute of Strategic Affairs, said China and Africa have developed historic relations over the years, which is further expanding in recent years.

The author recalled his learning experience at China Foreign Affairs University as an inspiration to write the book, which he said depicts the true nature of the win-win cooperation between China and Ethiopia.

Mulualem, in particular, highlighted the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative as the contributing factors to the blossoming China-Africa relations in recent years.

Dima Nogo, chairman of the Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Standing Committee at the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives (HoPR), the lower house of the parliament, highlighted the significance of the newly launched book in terms of telling the historic China-Ethiopia ties in particular and the wider China-Africa relation in general.

“Taking Ethiopia as a case study is appropriate. I commend the author for taking Ethiopia as a case study because Ethiopia is one of the first (African) countries to have relations with China,” Nogo said, who is also chairperson of the Ethiopia-China Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Shen Qinmin, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, stressed that the depth and comprehensiveness would serve as a reference to the growing China-Africa relations. “I noticed in the preface of the book, it said there are very few studies that show the relationship of China with Africa that focuses on Ethiopia. This book helps to show the historic developments of China’s relationship with Africa and specifically with Ethiopia,” he said.

Gebeyehu Ganga, director general of the Asia and Pacific Directorate at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the newly launched book highlighted the true extent of China-Ethiopia relations.

“The relation between Ethiopia and China is deep-rooted in history. They are enjoying excellent partnership in economic, political, cultural and people-to-people ties that takes us back to the ancient civilization of the two countries,” he said.

The director general also said since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations some five decades ago, the two countries have always maintained cordial bilateral relations, which is consistent with supporting each other in regional and international issues.

Xinhua