The Chinese government and its leadership's efficient and timely earthquake relief efforts have gained the praise of the whole world, said Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis on Thursday.

When receiving credentials of China's newly appointed ambassador to Ethiopia Gu Xiaojie, Girma expressed once again sympathy and condolence to the Chinese side over the devastating earthquakes that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12.

He said Ethiopia pays attention to the development of its relations with China, adding that Ethiopia would work together with China to further their bilateral ties to a new high.

In recent years, the relations between Ethiopia and China have been expanded rapidly and bilateral cooperation in all fields has deepened, said the Ethiopian president.

He praised the Chinese firms in Ethiopia, saying that the Chinese firms become more active in Ethiopia's reconstruction, making greater contributions to the country's economic and social development.

Girma also said Ethiopia backs China's efforts to prepare for the Beijing Olympic Games. He said Ethiopia will send a big sport delegation to take part in the upcoming Olympic Games, to be held in August.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador Gu thanked the Ethiopian president for his expression of sympathy to China over the devastating earthquakes.

Gu arrived here on June 2 as China's newly appointed ambassador to Ethiopia. He said he will exert efforts to further intensify the Ethiopia-China relations.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2008)