On June 24th, 2009, H.E. Ambassador Gu Xiaojie was interviewed by EPA with regard to the China-Ethiopian bilateral relationship and mutual-beneficial cooperation.

Mr. Gu said, both of two countries were endowed with long civilized history and the exchanges between two peoples could be traced back to ancient times. The relationship between the two countries, weathering the test of changes of world situation and domestic policies, had maintained a continuous and smooth development. Over the recent years, the two sides enjoyed more and more common interests, reflected by frequent exchange of high-level visits, increasing political mutual trust, and fruitful achievements in the fields of culture, education, agriculture, sports, human resources, etc.

Mr. Gu said, the China-Ethiopia economic cooperation, on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win principle, setted up a model for South-South cooperation. Ethiopia was the only one of the African countries who benefited from all eight policy measures declared by the Chinese government at Beijing Summit of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2006. At present, these policy measures were implemented positively and taken into effect step by step, which would bring more tangible benefits to the Ethiopian people.

Mr. Gu emphasized that, the Chinese government attached great importance to the traditional friendship with Ethiopia, and would, through pragmatic cooperation and providing assistance to the best of its ability, to continuously contribute to the common development and the friendship between the two countries.