Ethiopia and China Pledge Deeper Military Ties, Defence Industry and Technology Transfer on the Agenda
Ethiopia and China have agreed to deepen their military ties, with talks in Addis Ababa on 3 November focused on defence-industry cooperation, technology transfer and military training, according to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). Defence Minister Mohamed Idris met Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai; neither side announced a new agreement, a contract or a timeline.
What was said
ENA reported that the two sides agreed to “further consolidate their longstanding and productive military ties and elevate bilateral strategic cooperation to a higher level.” Mohamed Idris stressed sustaining what he called the historic military partnership while widening it into defence industrial development, technology transfer and training.
He also said Ethiopia’s efforts to safeguard its national interests contribute to regional and international peace and stability, and called on China to “continue standing alongside Ethiopia.” Chen Hai, according to ENA, reaffirmed Beijing’s interest in closer military and strategic ties and said China was ready to expand defence-industry cooperation, pointing to results already achieved through investment and bilateral engagement.
The defence meeting came on the same day Chen Hai held separate talks with Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, where ENA said the focus was trade, investment and capacity building under the two countries’ “All-Weather Strategic Partnership.”
Why the timing matters
The talks come as Addis Ababa faces its most serious accusations yet from neighbouring Sudan. Sudan’s army-led government has filed complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union, alleging that drones used against Sudanese infrastructure were launched from Ethiopian territory, naming Bahir Dar and Asosa as launch sites. Ethiopia has rejected claims that it backs the Rapid Support Forces. Defence Mena has tracked that dispute, including Sudan’s claim of 162 drone attacks from Ethiopia and the reported closure of Sudan’s Assosa consulate.
The ENA readout did not mention Sudan, drones or any specific weapon system. The minister’s line about national interests and regional stability, and the request for China’s continued backing, read as a signal of where Addis Ababa wants diplomatic cover as the dispute escalates, but that is interpretation, not something either government said.
China’s existing footprint in Ethiopia’s forces
China is one of several suppliers to the Ethiopian National Defense Force, alongside Russia, Türkiye, the UAE and Iran. Chinese Wing Loong drones were the first foreign armed drones linked to the Tigray war, and Ethiopia’s domestic drone push has relied on imported components, as set out in Defence Mena’s guide to Ethiopia’s military drone fleet.
In 2024 The Reporter, an Addis Ababa weekly, reported that an Ethiopia–China agreement signed at the 11th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing covered weapons technology transfer, capacity building and joint production, and linked it to China’s CH-7 stealth drone. No CH-7 hardware has been confirmed in Ethiopian service, and the 3 November talks did not refer to it.
Ethiopia is also courting other partners in the same fields. In July it opened a UAE-backed AI and cybersecurity laboratory at its Defence University, and its air force is in the middle of a contested Russian fighter programme, covered in our Su-35 tracker.
What to watch
The statement is a readout of intent. Concrete outcomes would be a signed defence-industry or training agreement, a named Chinese partner for Ethiopian production, or new Chinese-origin equipment appearing with the ENDF. None has been announced.
Sources
- Ethiopian News Agency: Ethiopia, China pledge to deepen military and strategic cooperation (3 November 2026)
- Ethiopian News Agency: Ethiopia, China reaffirm commitment to all-weather strategic partnership (3 November 2026)
- The Soufan Center: Sudan’s expanding drone war (4 November 2026)
- The Reporter Ethiopia: report on the 2024 Ethiopia–China agreement
