China upgrades ties with Ethiopia in fresh Africa diplomacy push

China on Tuesday upgraded its bilateral ties with Ethiopia in a show of deeper support for its a long-time strategic partner while extending a diplomatic push in a strategic part of Africa amid contesting efforts from Washington. As Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was in Beijing for an international cooperation forum, both sides signed a joint statement establishing an "all-weather" strategic partnership, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China on Tuesday upgraded its bilateral ties with Ethiopia in a show of deeper support for its a long-time strategic partner while extending a diplomatic push in a strategic part of Africa amid contesting efforts from Washington.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was in Beijing for an international cooperation forum, both sides signed a joint statement establishing an "all-weather" strategic partnership, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China has invested heavily in Ethiopia over the years and extended billions of dollars in financing for infrastructure projects. The strong economic engagement contrasts with Addis Ababa's strained relations with the United States - Beijing's strategic rival in the region.

In a show of support for the Ethiopian economy, which is just emerging from two years of war in its northern Tigray region, Beijing this year announced a partial and undisclosed cancellation of the $13.7 billion that Ethiopia has borrowed from China since 2000. Washington has characterised the Chinese lending as predatory and leading to potential debt traps.

China and Ethiopia should take the establishment of their new elevated ties as a chance to advance "common development and win-win cooperation", said Xi. Xi and Ahmed met less than two months ago on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa where the Chinese president assured the Ethiopian leader that China was a reliable friend and true partner.

By contrast, the Biden administration, which is trying to reengage with Africa following criticism of neglect, banned Ethiopia's duty-free access to the U.S. market, accusing it of violating human rights in Tigray during its war with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The U.S. state department this year further accused Ethiopia of war crimes committed during the conflict, which ended in late 2022, which Addis Ababa has rejected as "defamatory".

As China planted deeper roots in Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last year that Washington would have to do things differently to help Africa with its infrastructure needs and it was time to stop treating the continent as a subject of geopolitics.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)