The Ethiopia-China Coffee Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference and a series of Ethiopian coffee promotion events were held in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, from December 26 to 28. The events were jointly organized by the Embassy of Ethiopia in China and the Ethiopia–China Friendship and Cooperation Committee under the theme “Taste Ethiopia, Embrace Opportunities.”
Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, is among the world’s leading suppliers of premium coffee beans, with China currently ranking as its fourth-largest export destination. Against the backdrop of rising demand in the Chinese market, the events aimed to further promote Ethiopian coffee, expand market access, and enhance export volume and value through strengthened economic and trade cooperation.
As part of the program, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony was showcased at a public square in Zhuzhou, offering residents and visitors the opportunity to experience and taste high-quality Ethiopian coffee. An Ethiopian Coffee Culture Experience Center was also established to introduce visitors to the history, origins, and production regions of Coffee Arabica, as well as the distinct characteristics of green coffee beans. Premium Ethiopian coffee varieties, including Yirgacheffe, Sidama, Guji, Geisha, Harar, Jimma, Limu, and Nekemte, were displayed, highlighting Ethiopia’s rich coffee diversity and its position as home to thousands of coffee varieties.
A key highlight of the events was the inaugural China–Ethiopia Coffee Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, held on Tuesday (December 27) in Zhuzhou City. The conference brought together more than 300 government officials and coffee sector business leaders from both countries. During the event, the Ethiopia Coffee Trading Center was officially launched to facilitate the promotion and marketing of Ethiopian coffee in China. Several cooperation agreements were also signed, aimed at strengthening economic and trade exchanges and further deepening bilateral ties.
President Taye Atske-Selassie delivered a congratulatory message via video, underscoring the economic and cultural significance of coffee to Ethiopia. He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to expanding cooperation with China in the coffee sector and beyond.
Ethiopian Ambassador to China, Tefera Derbew, highlighted the steadily growing relationship between Ethiopia and China, emphasizing coffee’s role as a unifying commodity. In his remarks during the opening session, Ambassador Tefera described coffee as a binding product that continues to support and enhance the partnership between the two countries.
Adugna Debela, Director-General of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, stated that the establishment of the Ethiopian Coffee Trading Center in Zhuzhou would help create direct sales channels by leveraging the Zhuzhou Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zones, thereby improving efficiency and market access for Ethiopian coffee in China.
Addressing technical and production aspects, State Minister of Agriculture of Ethiopia, Efa Muleta, called for deeper collaboration in agricultural infrastructure. He invited Chinese investors and experts to partner with Ethiopia in modernizing input supply systems, improving harvesting techniques, and strengthening storage and distribution networks to ensure Ethiopian coffee reaches Chinese consumers in optimal condition.
State Minister of Government Communication Service, Tesfahun Gobezay, emphasized that coffee represents more than a commodity for Ethiopia, noting its cultural significance and its potential to strengthen people-to-people relations between the two countries.
On the Chinese side, Betty Xu, President of the Ethiopia–China Friendship and Cooperation Committee, noted that the coffee sector offers significant opportunities for Chinese enterprises to promote two-way trade between Ethiopia and Zhuzhou City, which is emerging as a hub for high-quality coffee consumption. She further underscored that the Ethiopian specialty coffee trading center in Zhuzhou—dedicated to product display, trading, and cultural promotion—would play a key role in facilitating Ethiopian coffee’s access to the Chinese market and enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.
Hu Xusheng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress, stated during the opening ceremony that Hunan Province, as the permanent host of the China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo, has long been committed to building effective platforms for China–Africa cooperation. He noted that the conference represents a practical step toward implementing the outcomes of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation and deepening bilateral economic and trade collaboration.
On the sidelines of the conference, Ambassador Tefera Derbew held discussions with Chen Huiqin, Mayor of Zhuzhou City, focusing on future areas of cooperation. The talks explored ways to strengthen economic and trade relations, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and consider the establishment of sister-city relations between Zhuzhou City and Ethiopian counterparts as a means of further deepening bilateral ties.