On August 2, as the Forum on the 20th Anniversary of Juncao Assistance and Sustainable Development Cooperation got underway in Beijing, Fujian Province and Addis Ababa City of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia held the Signing Ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of Friendship Province Relationship. Representing each side, Vice Governor Guo Ningning and Ethiopian Ambassador to China Teshome Toga signed the agreement.

Addis Ababa City became Fujian’s first newly added provincial-level sister city this year, defying challenges from the pandemic. As of now, Fujian has established 117 sister city relationships with foreign counterparts, including 32 provincial-level ones. Specifically, Fujian has forged 5 sister city relationships with African counterparts, 3 of them at provincial level, 2 at municipal level.

Under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and FOCAC, FAO will continue to work for such close links with African cities and ramp up bilateral exchanges and cooperation in trade, investment, industrial capacity, tourism, among others, in an effort to serve China’s overall foreign policy regarding Africa and contribute to the development of a new Fujian.

Addis Ababa is a state-level chartered city located in the geographic centre of Ethiopia. Its total area stands at 540 km2 and its population counts near 4 million. It is the hub of economic, social and political activity and home to the headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. As the most vibrant economic powerhouse in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa generates 25% of national GDP, powered by numerous industries such as textile, food, woodwork, plastics and chemical engineering. For international trade, Addis Ababa is an important gateway to the Port of Djibouti, Gulf of Aden and Asseb of Eritrea. It is also a distribution centre for domestic trade.