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Over 100 Ethiopian students win Chinese scholarships
A total of 143 Ethiopian university students have won scholarships provided by the Chinese government to help them pursue graduate and post-graduate studies across different academic fields in the country's largest Addis Ababa University (AAU).
Speaking at the awards ceremony of the China-Ethiopia Friendship Scholarship on Friday at the AAU, the university's Interim President Samuel Kifle said the Chinese government and different universities in China have had "strong and meaningful collaboration with the AAU, which helped us to train our faculties, to train our students."
He said the collaboration between Chinese and Ethiopian academic institutions is reflected in the robust Sino-Ethiopia ties.
Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan for his part called on the scholarship recipients to help contribute to Ethiopia's socioeconomic development.
Noting that the AAU and its graduates have over the years played an important role in fostering China-Ethiopia ties, the ambassador underscored the need to further strengthen the AAU's role as a "bridge" between the two countries.
Mulugeta Ayele, one of the scholarship recipients, said the opportunity will help him and his fellow students to further their studies and, eventually, contribute to Ethiopia's development.
The scholarship awards ceremony also featured an awards ceremony for 22 Ethiopian students who had won the "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition.
China.Org
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Edgar Allan Poe
China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), evolving to become the overarching framework through which China engages with the continent, has seen billions pumped into developing projects such as Ethiopia’s Eastern Industrial Zone (EIZ) – described by the country’s former Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, as an example of China’s “irreplaceable role” in the Ethiopian economy. The zone is 100% owned and managed by China’s Qiyuan Group.
Reports of corruption are widespread. Working conditions are under increasing scrutiny. Similar projects have been investigated for using special economic zones to side-step U.S. import tariffs. Nevertheless, so long as Chinese investment appears lucrative (and the EIZ has created more than 20,000 new jobs), China will continue to attract nations such as Ethiopia.
The consequence is that Afro-Chinese relations run the risk of becoming dangerously asymmetrical.
Many in the West see China’s investment as a ‘soft’ means of establishing itself globally. Some even suggest that through projects such as the EIZ, Ethiopia (and elsewhere) may become Chinese “colonies”. This is certainly hyperbole. From Ethiopia’s perspective, claims of “Chinese neo-colonialism” come from “fear in the West of growing [Chinese] influence in Africa”. Often, investment stems from socioeconomic weaknesses back home, with many Chinese workers seeking greater financial opportunities building roads etc.
For many African nations, Chinese loans appear more conducive to longer-term development. Moreover, unlike the IMF’s, they aren’t conditional on reform – a selling-point Xi Jinping emphasises. “We have a high degree of agency,” Ethiopia’s deputy economic commissioner has been quoted as saying, “yet Western countries try and advise us about what our…law should be.”
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"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Edgar Allan Poe
Closure of Chinese Factories in Ethiopia Amid Tax Disputes
The Ontex factory in Ethiopia, once a bustling hub producing 400,000 diapers per hour, has ceased operations due to prolonged tax disputes with the government, as reported by the China Global South Project. This closure is indicative of the worsening business environment in the country.
Despite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasting a 6.2% growth for the Ethiopian economy this year—a notable achievement for a nation recovering from a significant debt crisis and a two-year civil war—the government faces the challenge of fostering private sector growth, especially in the manufacturing sector, to meet these growth targets.
Separately, the Chinese embassy in Addis Ababa has expressed its discontent with a report by CGSP last week, which highlighted concerns about Chinese investment in Ethiopia. The embassy aims to clarify misconceptions and set the record straight regarding Chinese involvement in the country, underscoring the need for accurate representation of its investment landscape.
Desclaimer: CGSP retracted its report on the strong press statement from Chinese embassy in Addis Ababa.
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Edgar Allan Poe