Addis Ababa, December 29, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopian Ambassador to China Tefera Derbew has held discussions with Chen Huiqin, Mayor of Zhuzhou City, on future areas of cooperation between Ethiopia and the Chinese city.
The talks were held on the sidelines of a large-scale trade conference and coffee promotion event hosted in Zhuzhou City, where a high-level Ethiopian delegation showcased Ethiopian specialty coffee and engaged with Chinese officials and business representatives to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.
The discussions focused on strengthening economic and trade cooperation, while also exploring ways to further consolidate people-to-people relations, the Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing told Fana Media Corporation.
The two officials also discussed the establishment of sister-city relations between Zhuzhou City and Ethiopian counterparts as a means of deepening bilateral ties.
It is noteworthy that over the weekend, the Ethiopia–China Coffee Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was held in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, alongside the inauguration of a specialty Ethiopian coffee trading center. The trading center serves as a hub for exhibitions, commercial transactions, and cultural exchange, supporting the expansion of Ethiopian coffee trade in China.
In a video message, President Taye Atske-Selassie reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to expanding cooperation with China in coffee trade, while Adugna Debela Bote, Director-General of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, said the center will create direct sales channels through Zhuzhou’s cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and promote Ethiopian coffee culture.
The event also included the signing of agreements on coffee trade, barter trade platforms, and new energy development, with Hu Xusheng, Vice-Chairman of Hunan’s Provincial People’s Congress, highlighting the province’s role in advancing China–Africa cooperation.