On the afternoon of June 4th, the opening ceremony for the Seminar on Developing the Rule of Law for Ethiopia hosted by Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) was held smoothly. Mr. Chen Wei, Vice Executive Dean of International Education College and Vice Director of MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai), and Associate Professor Zhai Wei, Executive Director of the Competition Law Research Center of East China University of Political Science and Law, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
China and Ethiopia established diplomatic relations on November 24, 1970. In recent years, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has exhibited a healthy and sustained trajectory of growth. In October 2023, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali was invited by President Xi Jinping, to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and conducted an official state visit to China. During the visit, both China and Ethiopia engaged in profound discussions on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest, achieving a broad consensus. They declared an upgrade in their existing partnership to an all-weather strategic partnership status. The organization of the seminar represents a pragmatic step to enhance cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Ethiopia, foster people-to-people connections, deepen mutual benefit cooperation, and implement the Belt and Road initiative.
Mr. Chen Wei stated that under the Belt and Road Initiative, the cooperation between China and Ethiopia has become increasingly close, with profound cooperative relations and fruitful exchanges in the fields of politics, economy and culture. The level of a nation’s rule of law construction is intrinsically linked to its political stability, economic growth and the protection of civil rights. For Ethiopia, enhancing the rule of law is essential for achieving its long-term development strategy, ensuring societal stability and promoting economic prosperity. It is believed that China’s successful experience in rule of law construction can serve as a valuable reference for Ethiopia, offering new opportunities for the well-being of both countries’ peoples.
Mr. Zhai Wei stated that China and Ethiopia are both developing countries with long histories, illustrious cultures and significant global influence. Ethiopia is China’s comprehensive strategic partner in Africa and an important participant in the China-Africa Belt and Road Initiative. It is hoped that this Seminar will provide a new example of friendly and cooperative relations between China and Ethiopia. Through the training and exchanges, it is believed that the participants will gain fuller and more comprehensive understanding of China’s development model, practical experiences and cultural heritage. It is also hoped that they will contribute to the two-way friendly exchanges between China and Ethiopia.
Mr. Melaku Michael Temesgen, Deputy Director General of the Economic Crime Management Bureau at the Ministry of Justice of Ethiopia, thanked the Chinese government, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and Shanghai Business School for providing the training opportunity. He said that this Seminar is a further extension of the long-term friendly relations between Ethiopia and China. He expressed his hope to gain insights from China’s extensive experience in rule of law development through the Seminar, and to foster greater exchange and cooperation between China and Ethiopia.
The 14-day Seminar includes 22 participants from various Ethiopian departments, including the Ministry of Justice, the Financial Intelligence Service Agency, the Certification Service Agency, the Federal Prison Commission. The Seminar will organize visits for the participants to Ganzhou and Ruijin cities in Jiangxi Province.
Written by: Hong Xingzhi
Photos by: Hong Xingzhi
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
