An Ethiopian delegation of 20 members led by Minister, Coordinator for Urban Sector at Democratic System Building Coordination Center (Member of EPRDF Executive Committee) visited SPI and had a mayor seminar from April 25 to 28.

    ZENG Jun, Vice President of SPI, met the seminar members and gave a brief introduction of the Institute. H.E. Ms. Fetlework G/egziabher Abrha, Minister, Coordinator for Urban Sector at Democratic System Building Coordination Center (Member of EPRDF Executive Committee and Head of the Delegation), said in her opening speech, “I would like to extend my gratitude to the Chinese government and people for the cooperation and help provided to Ethiopia. At present, under the leadership of EPRDF, Ethiopia has witnessed fast development in economy, but we have realized that we could only achieve sustainable growth through structural development and transformation. So, my colleagues and I came to China, Shanghai, to be exact, to learn the experience of urbanization led by CPC. We believe that our discussion and exchange in Shanghai will surely be wonderful.” FU Jihong, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of Shanghai Municipal Government, MA Junwei, Director of Party Relations Division of FAO, LIU Dengxiao, Director of the Foreign Affairs Division, and TU Ye, Director of the Training Division of SPI attended the meeting.

    In order to make the seminar more targeted and effective, SPI arranged featured lectures on the topics of China’s Reform and Opening Up, CPC Administrative Capacity Building, Shanghai Public Management and Services, and Shanghai Urban Development Plan. Combined with these lectures were the delegation’s visits to Shanghai Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub, Xuhui Administrative Service Center, and Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, which were aimed to help the foreign guests further understand the historical process of reform and opening up in Shanghai, the practice of CPC administrative capacity building, the experience of public management in Shanghai, and urban development planning, and to display the professional, informatized and refined operations of emergency management, public services, social governance and urban planning of this metropolis. During the visits, the seminar members listened carefully, took notes and actively asked instructors questions combined with the real situation of Ethiopia. The two parties had active interaction and exchange.   

    The Ethiopian members made high evaluations of this seminar. They said, “We’ve learned a lot from the introduction on reform and opening up.” “The introduction on urban planning and the visit to the urban planning museum left us a deep impression.” “We’ve learned that the CPC serves the Chinese people wholeheartedly and that the CPC had overcome a lot of difficulties and challenges before gaining the present achievements.” “SPI is a respectable institute and the seminar is well organized and informative.”