China’s leading economic and trade hub, Guang Dong Province is keen to further boost its trade and investment
ties with Ethiopia, Provincial authorities said.
Companies based in the province are interested to engage in infrastructure, energy development, and tourism areas, Guang Dong Provinces Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director General Mr Luo Jun told African journalists in the provincial capital Guangzhou.
Apart from the enabling policy framework of Ethiopia for investment, the government has taken the lead as the first African country to open a consular office in the provincial capital Guang Zhou, where Ethiopian airlines, the national carrier, flies five times a week which accelerate the rate of investment flow to the country, he said.
He expressed hope that as a transit for Chinese entrepreneurs to different African countries Ethiopia will ultimately end up as a good destination for investment from his province.
The investments of telecom companies, Huawei and ZTE, and the recently inaugurated light industrial city project by the shoe giant Hua Jian Group are mega investment projects that raise the scale of ties between Guang dong and Ethiopia.
The light industrial city project and the already operational Hua Jian Shoe factory in Ethiopia of Hua jian Group, its first investment out of China, are the results of the attractive investment policy of the country, said company representative Helen Qu.
It’s Sarah Xie, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Dongguan City government that expressed her impression about the huge potential available in Ethiopia she witnessed during her recent visit.
She vowed to continue encouraging more enterprises from the city, well known for the production of computer accessories, furniture and leather, to follow the suit of Hua Jian group to invest in Ethiopia.
Located in the southern part of China Guang Dong is economically the most developed province of China.
Its trade ties with Africa has been growing continuously in the past few years hitting 49.39 billion dollars in 2014 which accounts for 23.3 percent of China’s total trade balance with the continent. Its import and export volume also occupies 25 percent of Chinas total volume.
Business Enterprises based in the province have so far executed projects worth 2.3 billion dollars and signed 2.95 billion dollar projects in Africa, according to provincial authorities.
[ENA]