The People's Republic of China has been fragmenting diplomatic engagement with the Horn of Africa (HoA) to cement its foothold in the conflict-ridden region. The Horn of Africa comprises six states— Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and the self-governing state of Somaliland—of whom five are sovereign states and one is de facto, where China is now expanding its footprint. On Thursday, May 25, China announced that it is stepping up its cooperation with the African countries by sending more emergency food aid to the Horn of Africa. Beijing expanded its diplomatic efforts with Ethiopia after the United States cut the aid to Mali, Ethiopia and Guinea alleging violations of the AGOA Statutes. As the US suspended Ethiopia from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, China lambasted the latter's action as “meddling” in Ethiopia’s internal affairs.

Source: Ethiopian News May 26, 2023 18:02 UTC