Addis Ababa, 02 April 2015 (WIC) – The newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Amb. La Yifan, said that Ethiopia is considered as number one best African nation for Chinese investment and trade destiny.

While giving press conference at his office today, Chinese new Ambassador La Yifan said the political will and commitment of both country leaders make it easier to strengthen the all rounded relations.

The committed leadership of EPRDF and its industrious people are the most attractive realities for the Chinese investment and trade flow.

“The trade relations of the two countries reached 3.4 billion dollars. We are increasingly working to make the trade relation fair by allowing Ethiopian goods to enter Chinese market”. Our economies are highly complementary, he added.

We are pleased to cooperate with Ethiopia in all means particularly to realize GTP two of the host country, he stated.

“Ethiopia’s comparative advantage that no country can compete with is having industrious people, animal husbandry, and agro-processing, clean energy and labor intensive manufacturing sectors”.

Since my arrival in February, many Chinese investors and trade delegations are coming to engage on these sectors.

A non-oil producing, country Ethiopia has been able to register double digit economic growth for two decades which indicates that EPRDF is pro-development and committed leadership to eradicate poverty and I am sure it will realize it sooner.

The ambassador also stated that Chinese companies are engaged highly in the gas and oil exploration activities in Ethiopia. He also said that Chinese companies are working on the expansion of gas pipeline from Arbaminch town to Djibouti.

China is working with Ethiopia together to evict citizens of both country trapped in the Yemen crisis. He said the Chinese Navies are transporting Chinese nationals and Ethiopia even including other nationals from Yemen to Djibouti and back to Ethiopia.

He commended Ethiopian Airlines for its helpful role in these timely activities. More than 571 Chinese nationals are already transported and flew back to China from Addis Ababa.

The newly stationed Ambassador told the media corps that he presented his credential to Ethiopian president Dr Mulatu Teshome.

He said he discussed ways on how fully evict Ethiopian and Chinese nationals from Yemen in a coordinated ways.

He also said he has discussed on how to further increase the ties among the two countries.