China's support for Ethiopian government complicates ties with Egypt
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Ethiopia to show his nation’s support for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has put China’s relationship with Egypt to the test.
CAIRO — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Ethiopia Dec. 1 and held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart, Demeke Mekonnen. At a press conference following the talks, Wang asserted his country rejects any foreign interference in Ethiopia's internal affairs. He further affirmed China’s opposition to any attempts to impose external political interest on Ethiopian domestic affairs and its fervent support to the Ethiopian government and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
In turn, Mekonnen reiterated the Ethiopian government's commitment to fostering robust ties with China and playing a pivotal role in bilateral and multilateral fields.
The next day, Egyptian figures rushed to criticize the visit. Maj. Gen. Ahmad al-Awadi, chairman of the Egyptian parliamentary committee on defense and national security, stressed his country’s rejection of any move that would undermine peace and security in the region.
Awadi warned that siding with any party in the Ethiopian-Egyptian conflict would stir chaos in the region and anger Egypt, shake the stability in the region and negatively affect the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) conflict.
