The Chinese Mission to the African Union and Chinese Embassy to Ethiopia jointly held a grand reception at Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, in celebration of the 92nd Anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army（PLA). H.E. Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of African Union Commission, Major General Trust Mugoba, Chief of Staff of the African Standby Force, Brigader General Bultie Tadesse, General Director of the Defense Foreign Relations Directorate of the Ethiopian Defense Forces and Brigadier General Yilma Mequanintie, Chief of the Ethiopian Defense Medical Main Department were present at the event, together with some 400 participants including ambassadors, senior officials of the African Union Commission, senior officers of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, military attaches and other high-ranking members of the diplomatic corps in Addis Ababa. The reception also featured a photo gallery and a short film introducing China’s national defense in the new era and the PLA’s international peace commitment.
In his speech, Senior Colonel Wang Ximao， Defense Adviser of the Chinese Mission to AU and the host of this reception, reviewed the international missions that the PLA undertook under the banner of the UN, especially the myriad peacekeeping missions in Africa and the maritime escort task in the Gulf of Aden and Waters off the coast of Somalia. He reiterated that the PLA is committed to world peace and to supporting Africa in the peace and security arena. He further emphasized the importance of Putting Africa First in cooperating with Africa, and underscored China’s unswerving support for finding “African solutions to African problems”.
