Confucius Institute wins acclaim for cementing China-Ethiopia ties

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU) on Monday received acclaim for its 10 years of operation, which helps fortify the deepening ties between China and Ethiopia.

A special ceremony marked the Confucius Institute's 10th anniversary at AAU, attended by senior Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, representatives from AAU and the Chinese host Tianjin University of Technology and Education (TUTE), and academia.

Ethiopia's State Minister of Education Kora Tushune emphasized the importance of fostering Sino-Ethiopian cultural and people-to-people ties as a cornerstone for comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

"Over the past ten years, with the joint efforts of the Addis Ababa University and TUTE, the Confucius Institute at the AAU has made positive contributions to promote the friendship between Ethiopia and China through language education and cultural exchange," he said.

Samuel Kifle, AAU's interim president, congratulated the Confucius Institute at AAU for a decade of dedicated service, highlighting its role as a connecting bridge between the two countries.

The institute's anniversary included the signing of a renewal agreement between the Confucius Institute at AAU and its host university.

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan praised the growth of the Confucius Institute, affirming its contributions to fostering educational and cultural cooperation between China and Ethiopia.

"With the strong support of our two governments and the joint efforts of the two universities, the institute will make even greater contributions to mutual learning between our two civilizations and mutual communication between our two peoples. I believe the institute will usher in an even brighter future full of expectations," the ambassador said.

During the celebration, the launch of a local Chinese language textbook, "Hello, Chinese," was announced, also featuring Chinese-Amharic and Chinese-Afan Oromo language versions.

TUTE Board Chair Zhang Jingang said the Confucius Institute has stayed committed to providing high-quality Chinese teaching services and cultural exchange activities.

The Confucius Institute at AAU, operational in Ethiopia since November 2013, has seen over 10,000 students enroll in Chinese language studies across the country, according to institute data. In December 2016, the Confucius Institute at AAU was awarded the honor of Global Model Confucius Institute and is one of the 45 model Confucius Institutes in the world.