H.E. Prime Minister Meles，

Honorable Ministers，

Senior management of the Chinese enterprises and financial institutions，

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am extremely happy to be invited to this ceremony. Please allow me, on behalf of the Chinese Government and the Chinese Embassy, to extend warm congratulations on the launching of the production line of the Ethiopia Hansom Glass Factory, and to express my sincere welcome and heartfelt gratitude to Your Excellency Prime Minister Meles and other Ethiopian and Chinese distinguished guests at this grand ceremony.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the relevant ministries and institutions of the Ethiopian government, the China Development Bank, the China-Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) and the CGC Overseas Construction Co. LTD. Without your support and participation, the Hansom Glass Factory wouldn’t have been such a success today.

Ethiopia Hansom Glass Factory is the first modern glass manufacturer in Ethiopia and East Africa. It is also the first investment project funded by the CAD Fund. The launching of its production line is a significant event in Sino-Ethiopian cooperation and also one of the concrete outcomes of the policy measures announced by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Beijing Summit of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2006. The inauguration of the factory will not only be a new model for the Sino-Ethiopian mutually-beneficial cooperation, but also set up a good example for Sino-African investment cooperation.

H.E. Prime Minister Meles has always been concerned for the Sino-Ethiopian cooperation as well as cooperation between China and Africa. As the Co-Chairman, Prime Minister Meles made great contributions to the success of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC. Your Excellency’s presence at today’s ceremony yet again testifies your care for and support to the friendly Sino-Ethiopian cooperation.

Under the leadership of H.E. Prime Minister Meles, remarkable achievements have been made in the development and nation-building of Ethiopia. Recently, the Ethiopian Government has taken dynamic measures to cope with the challenges of the global financial crisis and has succeeded in maintaining stable and fast economic growth. The sound development of Ethiopian economy has created new opportunities for the deepening of Sino-Ethiopian cooperation.

The Chinese Government is committed to promoting effective cooperation and achieving common development between the two countries. It encourages and supports Chinese enterprises of competence and credibility to do business in Ethiopia.

At present, China together with the international community is making joint efforts to fight the global financial crisis. The Chinese government will honor its commitments to increase assistance within its capacity and expand trade and investment to Africa. We are glad to see that remarkable achievements have been made in trade and economic cooperation between China and Ethiopia. The projects under the framework of the Beijing Summit are being implemented and fruitful results achieved.

There are great potentials in the cooperation between China and Ethiopia as the economies of the two countries are highly complementary. The Chinese Government cherishes the traditional friendship with Ethiopia and is ready to join hands with the Ethiopian side to open and expand new cooperation fields and deepen the friendly relations. I believe that, as we persist further and assist each other, there will be bright future for our cooperation, which will definitely bring more tangible benefits for the wellbeing of the peoples of China and Ethiopia.

Now, I have the singular honor to invite H.E. Prime Minister Meles to make a speech.