Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said Tuesday China is keen to strengthen cooperation with Ethiopia in the infrastructure development and transportation sector. Zhang made the remarks after he visited the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit constructed by the China Railway Group in the capital of the East African country. Zhang said infrastructure development and transportation sector are among the various fields China and Ethiopia are cherishing. Reiterating the two countries have forged cooperation in different areas, he said that China and Ethiopia would further go hand in hand with their cooperation to benefit the peoples of the two countries and develop their respective countries. The cooperation between the two countries is also growing rapidly, Zhang said. "Ethiopia is a very close friend of China in Africa. So, the bilateral cooperation (covers) almost all the fields between the two countries; it is going very fast, including the infrastructure; including the city traffic infrastructure," said Zhang. The electrified Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AA-LRT) is the first light railway on the African continent with two lines of a total length of 34 km. Accompanied by diplomats and officials of Shenzhen Metro Group, among others, the vice foreign minister was on board of one of the rails on the north-south line that runs from Kality to Menelik II Square. "It is an exciting experience for me to take the light train in Addis Ababa,"he said. Stating that he has visited Ethiopia at various times, Zhang said the traffic in Addis Ababa has been improved due to many reasons, of one which is the light rail.
