China’s Top Diplomat Touches Down In Addis Ababa Amid Seismic Shifts In Global Politics

Foreign Ministry reaffirms stance against Taiwanese independence

The Foreign Ministry has reaffirmed its support for Beijing’s one-China principle following a visit from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, whose stay in Addis Ababa this week came against a backdrop of rapid shifts in regional and global geopolitics.

Wang Yi’s visit is part of an official tour that will include Lesotho and Tanzania in the coming days. The Foreign Minister was scheduled to visit Somalia on what was supposed to be a four-country tour, but reports on Friday indicated the trip to Mogadishu has been postponed for undisclosed reasons.

The call from China’s top diplomat also follows a visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

During Wang Yi’s stay, Ethiopian officials and the Chinese delegation reached agreements on continued cooperation in trade, infrastructure, transportation, energy, tourism, media and education, and pledged to partner in emerging areas like artificial intelligence and green energy.

The Chinese Foreign Minister called on the two countries to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, make full use of China’s zero-tariff policy, and accelerate the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation.

He also called for efforts to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, green industries, the digital economy, and other fields and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.

Wang expressed hope that Ethiopia will provide a favorable environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and do business, adding that China looks forward to Ethiopia, as a major African country, playing an important role in regional and international affairs.

In a joint statement issued by the two countries’ foreign ministries following Yi’s visit, the Ethiopian government reasserted its position on Taiwanese independence.

“Ethiopia reaffirms its firm commitment to the one-China principle, and reaffirms that there is but one China in the world,” reads the joint statement issued Friday.

The Ministry also expressed its full support for “all efforts by the Chinese Government to achieve national reunification.”

Taiwan’s representative office in Somaliland responded to the statement by calling it an example of “the Ethiopian government’s submission to China and parroting distortive propaganda orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party regime.”

Wang Yi’s visit also included an event at the national palace, where he was received by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Foreign Minister Gedion Timotiwos (PhD), and culminated with the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges held at the AU headquarters on Thursday, January 6.

Among the speakers at the event were Jean-Claude Gakosso, foreign minister of the Republic of the Congo, the African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie.

During the event, Wang Yi described the current shifts in international politics as profound changes unseen in a century, and called for a strengthened global south represented by China and Africa.

Against the backdrop of mounting global instability and serious challenges to the international order, the African side voiced support for the Global Governance Initiative proposed by the Chinese president, calling on both sides to stand united against hegemonism, jointly uphold the international order, and safeguard world peace.

Analysts observe affinity among the countries that make up the global south is gaining momentum amidst the uncertainty created by Washington’s unpredictable foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

“Africa, China and the rest of the global south aim for further alignment along economic, political, diplomatic and security agendas. This could help to outmaneuver the unfavorable new national interest reverberating from Washington,” said a veteran political analyst who spoke to The Reporter anonymously.

However, experts foresee that balancing its own interests with those of China could prove difficult for Ethiopia. They point out that although Ethiopia is incentivized to follow in Israel’s footsteps and recognize Somaliland, doing so would affect its position on the one-China principle.

The analyst sees Wang Yi’s visit as partly being a response to the Indian PM’s recent trip to Addis Ababa, linking it to India’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2026.

“China might not be happy with how Ethiopia is getting closer to India to get leverage within BRICS. The Chinese foreign minister’s sudden and silent visit might be to remind Addis Ababa of the basics,” he said.