China’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Hu Changchun, held consecutive high-level meetings in Eritrea on December 8 and Ethiopia on December 9, in a diplomatic swing that drew attention given the strained relations between the two neighboring states.
In Asmara, President Isaias Afwerki emphasized the need for China to deepen capacity-building partnerships across Africa and to take a constructive role in addressing conflicts in the Horn, issues he linked to external interference by major global powers, according to the Ertrean Minstry of Information.
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos and Ambassador Hu discussed the multifaceted Ethiopia–China partnership, ongoing development initiatives, and Ethiopia’s push for regional economic integration.
The envoy’s Addis stop immediately after Asmara stands out amid the current Ethiopia–Eritrea political chill. China’s decision to meet both governments on consecutive days suggests an effort to maintain balanced ties and reinforce its mediating role in a fragmenting regional landscape.
