STORY: Ethiopian minister commends China's contributions to economic progress
DATELINE: July 8, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:30
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the forum
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AHMED SHIDE, Ethiopian Finance Minister
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ZHAO ZHIYUAN, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia

STORYLINE:

Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide has praised the Chinese companies in Ethiopia for their significant contribution to the country's economic development.

Speaking at the 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Forum: Chinese Enterprise in Ethiopia, the minister said the Chinese government and companies have been involved in major infrastructure projects in the country.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AHMED SHIDE, Ethiopian Finance Minister
"The way Chinese companies work in Ethiopia is very much in a responsible way when it comes to contributing to the development of the country. That is very much appreciated as well."

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said Chinese companies have discharged their corporate social responsibilities.

He said there have been 1,835 Chinese direct investment projects with an accumulative investment of about 4.8 billion U.S. dollars in Ethiopia, creating 560,000 job opportunities.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ZHAO ZHIYUAN, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia
"To implement high-quality development concepts requires stable employment, improved livelihood, cultural progress, and a healthy ecosystem, none of which can be done without real CSR (corporate social responsibility) actions."

The forum brought together senior Ethiopian government officials, representatives from Chinese enterprises in Ethiopia and their Ethiopian counterparts, as well as diplomats in the East African country.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)