ADDIS ABABA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, has called for closer cooperation with Ethiopia during his three-day visit to the East African country.
During his stay in Ethiopia since Friday, Wu met with Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie, Speaker of the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives Tagesse Chafo, and Speaker of the Ethiopian House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager.
In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-Ethiopia relations have developed rapidly, and pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, Wu said.
He expressed China's readiness to work with Ethiopia to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both sides and the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, strengthen exchanges of governance experience, and advance the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Ethiopia.
Wu also briefed the Ethiopian side on China's 15th Five-Year Plan and China's decision to implement a zero-tariff policy for the 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China.
For their part, the Ethiopian leaders expressed their appreciation for the four global initiatives proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and China's zero-tariff policy for African countries. They lauded the achievements in bilateral relations and China-Africa cooperation, and thanked China for its long-term support for Ethiopia's socio-economic development.
They also reiterated Ethiopia's commitment to the one-China principle and expressed their willingness to enhance exchanges between legislative bodies, expand cooperation in various fields, and promote friendly relations between the two countries. ■
