Chinese Ambassador to Eritrea Cai Ge (fifth right, front row) poses for a group photo with Eritrean participants at the closing ceremony of a training programme in Asmara, Eritrea, on 22 September 2022

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Eritrea. In an interview with ChinAfrica, Cai Ge, Chinese ambassador to Eritrea, shares his views and vision on the development of bilateral relations. An edited excerpt of his views follows.   

Solidified mutual trust 

Eritrea is an important country in the Horn of Africa region and an important hub of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. China and Eritrea have a deep-rooted friendship, and have always been good friends, partners and brothers who respect each other and treat each other as equals. Before the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries had supported each other in national development.  

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 30 years ago, the strategic partnership between the two countries has achieved rapid development, reaching a new high under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki, who studied in China in the 1960s and has a deep affection for China.  

To steer the development of the bilateral relations, the two heads of state have maintained close correspondence with each other and have both expressed their high regard for the bilateral strategic partnership and their willingness to promote its continuous development and deepen mutual political trust and friendly cooperation in various fields. In early 2022, China and Eritrea established a strategic partnership according to the consensus of the two heads of state. Together, they have pointed the way forward and drew a blueprint for the development of the bilateral relations. 

In January 2022, then State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Eritrea as the first stop of his trip to Africa, where he met with Eritrean President Afwerki and Foreign Minister Osman Saleh. A joint statement was signed by the two foreign ministers. Both sides agreed to actively conduct practical cooperation in various sectors of mutual interest. 

China and Eritrea have always supported each other in the international arena. Both countries are firmly committed to safeguarding the UN Charter, international law, and the basic norms of international relations. Both countries advocate international fairness and justice, support true multilateralism, firmly oppose hegemonism and power politics, and object unilateral sanctions. China and Eritrea have always understood and supported each other on issues related to each other’s core interests and major concerns. China is willing to work with Eritrea to promote the common values of all humankind, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, and jointly build a community of shared future for humanity.  

Fruitful cooperation 

The two countries have forged closer economic ties. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral economic cooperation and trade have steadily developed. In November 2021, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has provided a powerful platform for the two countries to further align development strategies and for Eritrea to transform its resource endowments into drivers of economic development. With the joint efforts of both sides, rapid growth has been achieved in bilateral trade, investment and project contracting, and the bilateral cooperation has grown larger in size and been elevated to higher levels, involving more fields.  

In particular, China-Eritrea cooperation on large-scale projects has borne fruit, with the Zara gold mine and the Bisha polymetallic mine operating well, the Asmara polymetallic mine under construction, and a world-class potash mine in Colluli being planned. Notable achievements have also been made in the fields of telecommunications, heavy equipment and infrastructure construction. For years, China has been Eritrea’s top trading partner, largest source of investment and top contractor. It can be said the two countries have established close economic cooperation. 

Cooperation and exchanges in other fields, such as health, agriculture, education and culture, have also been deepened, benefitting both countries and peoples. As of 2022, China had sent 275 doctors in 15 batches to Eritrea to help the sick, and had built Orota Referral Hospital, the largest hospital in Eritrea. These have helped to promote the development of medical services in Eritrea. Chinese agricultural experts are implementing demonstration planting of apples, beans and oil crops in Eritrea, which have started to yield results. The Confucius Institute in Eritrea has been operating for 10 years, providing Chinese language and culture courses to the Eritrean people, and has been warmly welcomed. China has also trained talents for Eritrea through various means and helped Eritrea to build capacity. The two governments have signed cultural agreements and an implementation plan for 2023-2026. 

As an old Chinese saying goes, “state-to-state relations thrive when there is friendship between the peoples.” China-Eritrea friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the people. Both countries have their unique, splendid civilisations, and although they are far apart from each other, exchanges among the people have been going on since ancient times. A display of Chinese pottery with Chinese characters in the Northern Red Sea Regional Museum in Massawa is a testimony to the long history of China-Eritrea relations.  

Chinese culture is becoming increasingly popular among the Eritrean people. Chinese TV drama Minning Town has been broadcast on the Eritrean national television and a Chinese song and dance competition has been held. Young Eritreans participated in the Tiangong Dialogue activity, where they, together with other young Africans, communicated with Shenzhou-14 taikonauts. My Dream painting competition and an essay contest commemorating the 30th anniversary of China-Eritrea diplomatic ties were also held. These activities fully reflect the friendship between the two peoples.  

Partnership for peace and development 

The China-Eritrea partnership, which is based on similar historical experiences and shared values and has its roots in mutual support in revolutions and national construction, has been strengthened over time. Both countries uphold an independent foreign policy and multilateralism, oppose hegemony and hegemonic acts, advocate the right of all countries to choose their own path of development, insist that African issues should be solved by Africans through African means, and object interference in internal affairs. As a country in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea plays an indispensable and important role in peace and development in the region. It appreciates and supports the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa proposed by China, and believes that China will play a greater role in promoting regional peace and development. 

China will continue to work with Eritrea on the basis of mutual respect, equal treatment and mutual benefit. Together, we will give full play to the BRI and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and earnestly implement the Nine Programmes projects between China and Eritrea. We will safeguard international justice and enrich the content of the strategic partnership between the two countries. We will promote cooperation in various fields to a new level for the benefit of both countries and the peoples, and contribute to building a China-Africa and global community of shared future.