The Friendship Square, a China-aided riverside green development project in Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa, has improved the local ecological environment while providing the African country with a model for accelerating its green transition.
Covering an area of around 30 hectares, the square contains an artificial lake, a children's park, a palace of science and technology, a plaza that can accommodate tens of thousands of people at a time, several restaurants and areas for sports exercise.
As China's first overseas park construction project, the square was completed by the China First Highway Engineering Company (CFHEC) in 2020 following an 11-month construction period.
The project not only generated employment for over 2500 Ethiopians but also fostered knowledge exchange in fields such as large tree transplantation, sewage treatment systems, and Chinese garden design.
"It has brought lots of positive outcomes. Now, the environment, especially the biodiversity, the ecology, the resources are getting better and better. In the past, there was not that much greenery, but now if you see it, there are lots of trees, lots of plants. So, there is clean oxygen here. The area has become a venue for many big events, wedding, international conferences, workshops, even visitors are coming and spending their time here," said Balew Demissie, a professor at Addis Ababa University.
Demissie has long been championing environmental protection and green development projects in Ethiopia, dedicating his efforts to voluntarily disseminating positive news about various projects.
As Ethiopia transitions from traditional energy to clean energy production, the professor emphasizes the need for significant investments, particularly in green development. He believes that Ethiopia can learn valuable lessons from China's practices in green development.
"Ethiopia can learn a lot from China, especially in afforestation, reforestation, and in conserving the ecology, the biodiversity, and in protecting the resources, so that every place will be conducive for living," Demissie said.
China had set up more than 3,300 overseas enterprises in Africa, and its direct investment stock exceeds 40 billion US dollars. Technological exchanges such as smart city management systems and renewable energy are increasing, which can accelerate industrialization on the continent.
As the second largest economy in the world, China will continue to cooperate with African countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
China-aided park project improves ecology, offers green transition insights to Ethiopia
