China-Ethiopia Friendship Relay Race to kick off, aiming to promote road safety awareness

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 edition of the China-Ethiopia Friendship Relay Race is set to be held on Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, aiming at promoting road safety, social welfare and healthy life in the East African country.

The relay race, which will involve elites and amateur runners, is expected to draw more than 2,000 runners representing a wide range of enterprises and organizations as well as local athletes in Ethiopia, according to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which has been sponsoring the race for the last 20 years along with local partners.

This year's race will take place on CCCC's newly built road in the eastern part of Addis Ababa. Four elite athletes will form a group, with each one running six kilometers in the race. As for amateur runners, there will be six people in one group, with each running one kilometer.

Speaking at a media briefing on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai said that CCCC, as one of the largest Chinese enterprises in Ethiopia, has always been committed to promoting Ethiopia's development and fostering friendly cooperation between China and Ethiopia.

"Wherever CCCC builds roads, social responsibility follows, and the seeds of hope are sown. This China-Ethiopia Friendship Relay Race is a vivid example of its commitment," Chen said.

The ambassador noted that the event not only showcases the new progress made by CCCC in Addis Ababa's infrastructure development but also symbolizes the ever-expanding China-Ethiopia cooperation and friendship.

Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in 10,000 meters, emphasizes the event's significance in enhancing China-Ethiopia friendship and fostering cultural exchanges between the people of the two countries.

"By organizing the China-Ethiopia Friendship Relay Race, we are promoting not only high-quality infrastructure developments but also enhancing road safety and healthy life in Ethiopia," Gebrselassie added.

Wei Qiangyu, General Manager of CCCC Ethiopia Branch, on his part, said CCCC has always put road safety as the prior concern of road construction by guaranteeing quality throughout the whole design and construction period.

"CCCC has upheld its mission of investing in Ethiopia and giving back to Ethiopia by engaging in various social responsibilities, such as drilling wells for water access, building roads and bridges, and donating school materials, thereby fostering mutual understanding between the Chinese and Ethiopian peoples," Wei noted.

The annual event was started in 2004 when sections of the new ring road in Addis Ababa were completed, with the primary goal of promoting road safety awareness in Ethiopia, where road traffic accidents remain one of the most pressing public health problems.