By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Ethiopia, June 30, 2026 - Ethiopia and China have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their long-standing strategic partnership, with the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) pledging to deepen political, economic and people-to-people cooperation following Ethiopia's 7th General Election.
The commitment was made during a meeting in Addis Ababa between Adem Farah, Vice President of the Prosperity Party and Head of the Coordination Center for Democracy and Development with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister, and Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai.
During the meeting, Ambassador Chen delivered a congratulatory message from the Communist Party of China following the Prosperity Party's victory in Ethiopia's June 1 general election.
According to the message, the CPC expressed confidence that Ethiopia would continue advancing peace, national unity and economic transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
"The election results reflect the confidence placed by the Ethiopian people in the Prosperity Party, and we believe the party will continue leading Ethiopia's transformation and modernization efforts," the CPC said in its message.
The Chinese ruling party also reaffirmed its commitment to implementing agreements reached during previous bilateral engagements, describing the Ethiopia-China relationship as a comprehensive strategic partnership that continues to expand across multiple sectors.
On his part, Adem Farah said the Prosperity Party is committed to strengthening its cooperation with the CPC, noting that the partnership extends beyond political engagement to broader government collaboration and stronger ties between the peoples of both countries.
"Our cooperation with the Communist Party of China will continue to deepen, extending beyond party-to-party relations to encompass broader government-to-government engagement and stronger people-to-people ties," Adem said.
He noted that both Ethiopia and China have pursued development models rooted in their own national realities, enabling them to achieve significant economic and governance progress while preserving policy independence.
Adem also acknowledged China's continued support for Ethiopia's development agenda, thanking Beijing for its sustained cooperation in infrastructure development, industrialization and other strategic sectors.
China has remained Ethiopia's largest bilateral trading partner and one of its leading sources of foreign direct investment for more than a decade. Chinese companies have financed and constructed major projects including the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, industrial parks, expressways, power transmission infrastructure and manufacturing facilities.
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Ambassador Chen praised the progress Ethiopia has achieved under the Prosperity Party, particularly through the implementation of the Medemer philosophy, which emphasizes unity, inclusiveness and collective national development.
"China highly values the development achievements Ethiopia has realized under the leadership of the Prosperity Party, particularly through the implementation of the Medemer philosophy," Chen said.
The ambassador noted that Chinese investment in Ethiopia continues to expand across strategic sectors including manufacturing, mining, industrial parks, construction, services and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
According to official figures, China remains Ethiopia's largest source of foreign direct investment, with more than 2,000 Chinese companies operating in the country. These firms have collectively invested billions of dollars in manufacturing, textiles, renewable energy, telecommunications and infrastructure, while creating tens of thousands of jobs.
The renewed commitment comes as Ethiopia continues implementing sweeping economic reforms aimed at attracting greater private investment and improving the business environment. Recent policy changes, including foreign exchange liberalization, financial sector reforms and efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships, have created new opportunities for international investors, including Chinese enterprises.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their determination to build on decades of bilateral cooperation by strengthening ties between the Prosperity Party and the Communist Party of China while advancing the broader Ethiopia-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
The renewed commitment signals that political cooperation between Addis Ababa and Beijing will continue to complement growing economic relations as both countries pursue shared development goals, expand trade and investment, and deepen collaboration on regional and global issues.