Members of a Chinese medical team posed for a photo upon their arrival at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)
An Ethiopian diplomat has commended the lifesaving anti-COVID-19 partnership with China.
Speaking exclusively to Xinhua in a recent interview, Teshome Toga, Ethiopian Ambassador to China, said China has been a decisive partner to the east African country as it battles the spread of COVID-19.
"Ethiopia received robust support from the Chinese government with the provision of medical supplies, organization of health webinars and direct assistance from Chinese medical experts," Toga said.
"The two countries have lined up a number of other COVID-19 related activities including sharing Chinese successful anti-COVID-19 experience to help in Ethiopia's own anti-COVID-19 fight," Toga told Xinhua.
Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 55,213 after 804 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed as of Friday morning, the country's Ministry of Health said.
Toga who earlier this year personally witnessed China's effective fight against the spread of COVID-19, said the Asian country can become a model to Ethiopia's own fight against the disease.
"The way the Chinese worked to fight COVID-19 is impressive," Toga said, who noted that the stringent measures imposed by the government of China by locking down Wuhan, a city of 11 million for several months had achieved a success in containing the virus within Wuhan.
Toga further said the effective COVID-19 prevention and containment strategy in Wuhan meant other Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai were largely spared from the spread of the virus.
"The Chinese government injected a lot of resources and technology with the critical participation of the Chinese public, to lessen the spread of COVID-19 to other cities," said Toga.
"The Chinese public were very cooperative at all levels with the policy set by the Chinese government. I think that made a great difference in the fight against the disease," Toga told Xinhua.
The Ethiopian ambassador to China also commended the role of people-to-people ties in both countries' anti-COVID-19 fight.
"Ethiopia's support to China during the fight against COVID-19 was well received and the general public will tell you Ethiopia is a true friend of China," said Toga.
"China in return helped Ethiopia when COVID-19 occurred in Ethiopia," he said.
Toga further disclosed Ethiopia is in talks with the Chinese government on possible partnership in the east African country's planned post-COVID-19 economic recovery program.
