Ethiopia and China reiterate commitment to deepening cooperation across bilateral, regional & multilateral platforms

Addis Ababa, January 8, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos, held discussions with China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, at his office in Addis Ababa today, reiterating the two countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation across bilateral, regional and multilateral platforms.

FM Gedion emphasized that Ethiopia attaches significant importance to its robust and all-weather strategic partnership with China, noting that the relationship is grounded in a longstanding history of friendship, solidarity and mutual respect.

He expressed gratitude for China’s continued support for Ethiopia’s development endeavors and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to further strengthening economic cooperation between the two nations.

FM Gedion also highlighted the significance of the China-proposed Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa (HOA) initiative, which aims to address security, development and governance challenges in the region.

The Minister further underscored Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing the partnership through multilateral frameworks, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), BRICS-plus, and the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that Ethiopia is his first overseas stop of the year, reflecting China’s enduring solidarity with Africa and its role as a reliable strategic partner. He reaffirmed China’s steadfast commitment to strengthening the comprehensive partnership with Ethiopia across multiple areas of cooperation.

The two ministers agreed to deepen strategic coordination on bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation, signaling continued alignment on development, peace and global engagement priorities.