Ethiopia’s ambassador to China, Teshome Toga, briefed the Chinese think tank the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) on the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia on Wednesday. While this kind of briefing isn’t news per se, it does provide a rare glimpse into how Chinese positions on thorny issues like peace in the Horn of Africa are shaped.
This is because the CCG isn’t a run-of-the-mill think tank. It was established under the United Front Work Department, which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This means that these kinds of briefings allow for the coordination of positions between the Chinese government and key partners in Africa.