On the morning of May 5, 2014, Premier Li Keqiang, along with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe of Ethiopia and Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of the African Union (AU) Commission, visited the China Railway and Aviation Exhibition at the AU Conference Center in Addis Ababa.

     A video on the development of the railway and civil aviation equipment in China was played at the entrance of the exhibition hall. Li Keqiang asked Hailemariam and Zuma to watch the video with him. Speeding trains, soaring commercial aircrafts and Chinese equipments widely used throughout the world are all on the video, showing vividly the achievements China has made in railway and aviation construction. It aroused strong interest among the African guests.

     Li Keqiang and the African leaders then went to the railway exhibition area. As briefed that the Chinese railways can run in the regions with difficult natural conditions, Hailemariam asked whether they can run in mountainous regions. Li Keqiang said that, both the Southern Xinjiang Railway and Qinghai-Tibet Railway in China cross over the areas of harsh natural conditions and they run quite normally.

The models from China of multiple units of the high-speed train, Qinghai-Tibet Railway carriages, Modern Ark 60 and others were displayed at the center of the exhibition hall. Hailemariam and Zuma asked with great interest about the speed and performance of these equipments.

     At the exhibition area of commercial aircrafts, while standing in front of a map showing the development of China’s civil aircrafts in Africa, Hailemariam and Zuma pointed at the map and inquired in detail about their country’s cooperation with China in the field of civil aircraft.

     Li Keqiang said that with improved technology, mature experience in operation, guaranteed quality and high performance-to-price ratio, China’s railway and aircraft equipments have won a good reputation in the international market. China is willing to further participate in Africa’s railway construction, and will set up a research and development center of high-speed railway in Africa, to share technology and management experience with Africa. China proposes the implement of “China-Africa regional aviation cooperation program”, and supports the Chinese enterprises to establish joint venture airlines with Africa and to provide regional civil airliners, so as to jointly develop Africa's regional aviation industry, help to realize the connectivity in Africa.

     Hailemariam and Zuma said that Ethiopia and the AU are looking forward eagerly to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of railway and aviation to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results for the benefit of their peoples.

     Premier Li Keqiang’s wife Mme. Cheng Hong was present.

   Hailemariam Desalegn went to the hotel to meet Li Keqiang, and then the two Premiers took the same car to the construction site at the downtown square. Under the scorching sun, Li Keqiang, together with Hailemariam Desalegn, walked for 400 meters along a slope and clambered up to a 10-meter-high viaduct. While proceeding, he asked about the progress and quality management of the project as well as the local employment it absorbed. Li Keqiang showed his affirmation when told that this project adopted Chinese technologies from design, construction to equipment and operation. He said that the quality of the project must be guaranteed so as to forge the brand of the Chinese railway. We should share our experience in railway construction with Africa, share China's mature technologies, fulfill our task of training local workers in Africa and offer more job opportunities to the local people.

      Seeing the Chinese and Ethiopian workers laying a railway track, Li Keqiang squatted down to chat with them. Together with Prime Minister Hailemariam and the local workers, he took a wrench to tighten the screws on the track. Li Keqiang told the workers to be sophisticated for the construction work, ensure the timing and the quality of the project, aiming to bring long-time benefits to the African people with the China-constructed railway. A “highland” should be forged with these cooperative projects one after another, to push more Chinese equipment truly going global, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.