China-aided Africa CDC Headquarters main building structure completed

A topping-out ceremony was held for the China-aided Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Nov 26, 2021. 

Liu Yuxi, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, attended the ceremony and noted that even with the COVID-19 pandemic raging in the world, China and Africa have pressed ahead with bilateral cooperation. He added that the smooth progress of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa CDC fully represents the brotherhood and friendly cooperation between the two sides and will make important contributions to Africa's pandemic response.

Liu said that China and Africa launched the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development together in May 2021, which stresses that cooperation with Africa must be based on such principles as respecting the sovereignty and listening to African voices, and partners should give full play to their respective strengths in the efforts to bring more benefits to the African people.

The Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has outlined the direction of bilateral relations in the next three years and for the foreseeable future to further consolidate pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, according to Liu, which has injected new impetus into the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership and made greater contributions to global peace, stability, development and prosperity in the post-pandemic era.

Amira Elfadil Mohammed, AU commissioner for health, humanitarian affairs and social development, expressed thanks to China on behalf of the Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat for its precious assistance and hailed both the speed and quality of Chinese teams.

She said that the two sides have worked together to overcome multiple difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of construction materials in Ethiopia and completed the main building structure, which fully demonstrates the spirit of China-Africa friendly cooperation.