Infrastructure construction： what's happening here is a miracle

　　谈起非洲，你是否还停留在战乱、落后的印象里？然而，有这样一个国家，在一百年多年前就被称为“非洲代表、黑人希望”，这里是咖啡、高梁的故乡，这里也是马拉松运动员的摇篮。近年来，这个世界最不发达之一的国家连续多年发展速度位居非洲第一，它逐渐改变着人们对非洲的刻板印象，展现出欣欣向荣的新面貌……这个国家，就是埃塞俄比亚。

非洲屋脊上的“中国样板”

　　对于在埃塞工作多年的孟红来说，埃塞近些年的变化，她感受颇深：“我亲身感受到了非洲特别是埃塞俄比亚的经济发展，有越来越多的中国人来这里寻找机会。”
　　在首都亚的斯亚贝巴，这种感受更加明显。车水马龙的闹市区有着宽阔的柏油车道，空中飞驰的轻轨，国家体育场、非洲联盟总部……据说，亚的斯亚贝巴60%的工程都由中国人完成，在这里几乎能找到中国建筑业的所有大型公司，中国企业正在逐渐改变着这座城市的天际线。
　　如今，中国已毫无争议地成为了埃塞最大的投资国。英国《金融时报》对此评论，来自中国的企业和资本为埃塞的公路、铁路、大坝等注入了大量资源和资金，使埃塞实现了中国式的繁荣。美国财经媒体Quartz也用一句话作了总结：目前这里所发生的一切堪称经济奇迹。
　　与许多依赖矿产、石油资源繁荣起来的非洲国家不同，埃塞政治长期平稳，是非洲少数真正能利用起人口红利、发展劳动密集型产业的国家之一。
　　在国家工业落后的情况下，埃塞政府以中国模式为模板，积极发展基础设施建设和制造业，政府高层多次到中国考察学习。2010年，埃塞政府制订了该国首个“五年计划”，并放开绝大部分投资领域，同时积极依靠世界银行、非洲发展基金等援助，着力发展基础设施、能源和电信等基础性行业。
　　在埃塞智库和宣传部门的强力推动下，埃塞国家电视台里，从新闻到其他节目中无不展示着“發展，发展，再发展”的理念，高速公路、水电大坝的镜头经常出现在各种节目中。
　　正因如此，对外开放、出口加工、五年计划、基础建设……过去30年间中国人熟悉的一幕幕，正在这个遥远的非洲国家上演。许多到过埃塞的中国人都说，“这个国家，很像30年前的中国。”

一条铁路，拉动了一条经济带

　　在中埃合作的众多项目中，亚吉铁路是其中最耀眼的“明星”。作为“一带一路”的标志性成果，亚吉铁路是非洲大陆上第一条全部采用中国标准和中国装备建设的电气化铁路。已经安全运营一年多的亚吉铁路，为当地旅客出行和货物运输都提供了极大便利。
　　在埃塞人看来，亚吉铁路真正实现了国家之间的联通，使内陆国家埃塞俄比亚联通了吉布提，从而有了借助港口走向世界的契机。络绎不绝的旅客往来于两地之间，吉布提乘客阿卜杜是亚吉铁路的“铁粉”，每次去埃塞东部城市德雷达瓦都会选择亚吉铁路。他说，之前乘坐公共汽车到德雷达瓦要侣个小时，而现在仅4个小时就能抵达，“和过去比简直是天壤之别！”
　　而这样一组数据也说明了亚吉铁路的人气，截至2019年3月，亚吉铁路累计开行国际旅客列车403列，发送旅客15.5万人次;累计运送集装箱6.1万个，货物发送量约120万吨。
　　2018年6月，正值埃塞农忙时节。一场紧急的运输任务让中土埃塞俄比亚工程有限公司总经理李志远记忆深刻。
　　由于埃塞是内陆农业国家，95%的进出口货物都需要通过吉布提的港口转运。农忙时节，约3万吨化肥却滞留在吉布提，用老办法运输肯定来不及，这让埃塞农业部门焦头烂额。好在那时亚吉铁路已经开通运营，于是他们主动找到运营团队，请求支援。
　　任务紧急，刻不容缓。亚吉铁路运营团队迅速行动。“我们先后开通了11列化肥运输专列，在不到一个月的时间内完成了运输任务，保障了埃塞农业生产的顺利进行。”李志远回忆道。
　　如今，又到了让李志远和其团队忙碌的时候，这一次，李志远信心满满：“在最短的时间把大宗的化肥完成跨境运输，亚吉铁路毫无疑问是最好的选择。”
　　依托于运输优势，铁路沿线的产业园也如雨后春笋般迅速增加。“目前，铁路沿线有10个左右的工业园在建设，其中有一多半已经完成投产。特别是埃塞这样对出口、外汇都有很大需求的国家，这条铁路能拉动沿线经济的发展，尤其是外向型经济发展。”李志远如是说。

合作的脚步永不停息

　　“互联互通是一条脚下之路，无论是公路、铁路、航路还是网路，路通到哪里，我们的合作就在哪里。”习近平主席的话为中埃合作指明了方向。两国在道路、能源、房建等领域都硕果累累。非洲第一大水坝、第一条轻轨、第一条中国标准的铁路……中埃携手书写了一个又一个“第一”。
　　在亚的斯亚贝巴以西50公里的一片草原上，曲折蜿蜒的公路尽头，矗立着一座气势恢宏的变电站，这里是全球规模最大的500千伏变电站——埃塞俄比亚GDHA（复兴大坝）输变电工程Holeta变电站。远远望去，这群威风凛凛的“银甲兵士”，正尽职地守护着这片广袤的土地。 　　與长达13个月的炽热阳光形成鲜明对比的是，埃塞电力供应曾经极度匮乏。2014年以前，全国发电装机容量仅为200万千瓦，83%的人口无电可用，农村总电气化率低至6%，首都也只有三分之一的人能用上电，常能看到为了给手机充电，人们蜂拥排队的场景。
　　正是在这种能源和电力负荷极不均衡的背景下，可见由国家电网中国电力技术装备有限公司总承包的500千伏输变电工程，对推动埃塞经济发展、提升当地民众生活品质的意义有多么重大！
　　“在埃塞国家电网示意图上，自西向东一条长长的红色输电线路直指青尼罗河，这就是GDHA500千伏输变电工程。它是当前非洲输电线路最长、电压等级最高、输送容量最大的输变电工程。”中方的运维项目现场执行经理金明光介绍道。
　　如今，这座享誉非洲的输变电项目不仅对改善埃塞电网结构、解决埃塞首都地区电力供应紧张问题发挥着显著作用，而且对促进埃塞清洁能源外送和构建全球能源互联网均具有重要意义。
　　曾经的亚的斯亚贝巴，因为基础设施薄弱、交通不便，晚8点以后，整座城市便进入沉寂状态。现在，到晚上10点，依然有许多商店、餐馆还在营业之中……这样的活力离不开电力供应，也离不开一条轻轨的开通。
　　穿梭在繁忙城市之中的东非第一条城市轻轨——亚的斯亚贝巴城市轻轨，给这座“非洲屋脊”上的城市增添了一道亮丽风景线。“交通的便利意味着城市生活更加丰富，这座城市因轻轨而更加活跃。”深圳地铁集团埃塞俄比亚公司总经理王伟对此感受颇深。
　　东非第一条轻轨、非洲最大的输变电工程、210米高的东非第一高楼……一大批中国建设的项目已成为亚的斯亚贝巴的新名片;落户于此的非洲联盟总部、联合国非洲经济委员会、多个援非NGO组织，也让亚的斯亚贝巴成为非洲国际外交的最前沿。埃塞俄比亚，正向世界展示着令人惊叹的蓬勃与活力。
　　What does Africa look like in your mind？ Poor？War-ridden？ Yet a country there was giventhe title "the representative of Africa and the hopeof the black" more than 100 years ago. It is hometo coffee， sorghum and marathon runners. In recentyears， this country one ofthe least developed nationsin the world， has been ranking first in Africa in termsof development speed for many years. Its flourishingeconomy is changing the stereotype about Africa.That country， is Ethiopia.
　　A "Chinese model" on the roof of Africa
　　For Meng Hong， who has been working inEthiopia for many years， the changes here in recentyears are quite impressive. "I've seen firsthandthe economic development in Africa， especially inEthiopia， and more and more Chinese people camehere to look for opportunities，" she said.
　　In Addis Ababa， the capital of Ethiopia， thiskind of feeling is even more pronounced. In the busydowntown area， there are wide asphalt lanes， flyinglight rail， Addis Ababa Stadium and African Unionheadquarters. It is said that 60% of the projects inAddis Ababa are completed by Chinese people，and you can find almost all the major Chineseconstruction companies here. Chinese enterprises aregradually changing the skyline ofthe city.
　　Today， China is inarguably Ethiopia's biggestinvestor. The British Financial Times commentedthat enterprises and capital from China have injecteda lot of resources and funds into roads， railways anddams in Ethiopia， thus enabling Ethiopia to achievea Chinese-style prosperity. Quartz， the US financialmedia， concluded that what's happening here is anecononuc miracle.
　　Unlike many other African countries that haveprospered by relying on mineral and oil resources，Etluopia has enjoyed long-term political stabilityand is one of the few countries in Africa that cantruly take advantage ofits demographic dividend todevelop labor-intensive industries. 　　In view of the backward industry the Ethiopiangovernment has actively advanced infrastructureconstruction and manufacturing industry by drawingon experience of the Chinese model. The seniorofficials have visited China many times for study tours.In 2010， the Etluopian government formulated thecountry's first "Five-year Plan" and opened up mostof its investment areas. At the same time， it activelysought assistance from the World Bank and AfricanDevelopment Fund to boost its infrastructure， energytelecommunications and other basic industries.
　　Under the strong impetus of Ethiopian thinktank and publicity department， the concept of"development， development and development" isconveyed in all the news and other programs of thestate television. Shots of highways and hydroelectricdams often appear in various programs.
　　Because of this， opening up， export processing，five-year plans， infrastructure construction and manyother scenes fanuliar to the Chinese people in the past30 years are now being staged in this remote Africancountry. "This country looks like China 30 yearsago：' said many Chinese who have visited Ethiopia.
　　A railway activates an economic belt
　　Among the projects cooperated between Chinaand Ethiopia， Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway is thebrightest star. As a landmark achievement of the Beltand Road Initiative， Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railwayis the first electrified railway on the African continentbuilt entirely with Chinese standards and equipment.It has been operating safely for more than a year，providing great convenience for local passengers andcargo transportation.
　　In the eyes of the Ethiopians， the inter-countryconnectivity was truly realized， and the landlockedcountry of Ethiopia was connected with Djibouti，thus having the opportunity to go global from theport. An endless stream of passengers travels betweenthe two places. Abdou， a passenger from Djibouti，is a big fan of Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway andhe takes it every time he goes to Dire Dawa， a cityin the east ofthe country. He said that it used to take18 hours by bus to get there， but now it takes only 4hours. "It's a far cry from the past，" he said.
　　A set of data shows the popularity of AddisAbaba-Djibouti Railway. By March 2019， 403international passenger trains have been put intooperation， undertaking 155，000 passenger trips. Therailway has transported a total of 61，000 containersand delivered about l.2 nullion tons of goods.
　　An urgent transportation mission in June 2018，the busy farming season in Ethiopia， is still impressiveto Li Zhiyuan， general manager of CCECC EthiopiaConstruction Private Limited Company. 　　As a landlocked agricultural country， 95%of Etluopia's import and export goods need to betransferred through the port of Djibouti. Some 30，000tons of chemical fertilizer were stuck in Djibouti，too late to be transported in the old way. That lefiEthiopia's agricultural department in hot water.The good news was that the Addis Ababa-DjiboutiRailway had opened by then. So， they reached out tothe operation team for support.
　　There was no time to lose. The rail operationsteam moved quickly. "We opened 11 special freighttrains for the chemical fertilizer， and got everythingdone within a month， ensuring the smooth progress ofEthiopia's agricultural production." Li recalled.
　　It is again a busy season for Li and his team， buthe is confident this time. "To complete the cross-border transportation of bulk chemical fertilizer asquickly as possible， Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway isno doubt the best choice."
　　Relying on transportation advantages， industrialparks along the railway have mushroomed. "Atpresent， there are about 10 industrial parks underconstruction along the railway， more than half ofwhich have been put into operation. For a countrylike Ethiopia which has great demand for exports andforeign exchange， this railway can boost the economyalong the route， especially the export-orientedeconomy，" said Li.
　　The pace of cooperation never stops
　　"Connectivity is a path at our feet. Whether it isby road， rail， air or the internet， our cooperation iswherever the path leads." President Xi Jinping's wordsdefined a direction for China-Ethiopia cooperation.The two countries have made great achievements inthe fields of roads， energy and housing construction.The biggest dam in Africa， the first light rail and thefirst Chinese standard railway...China and Etluopiahave jointly achieved one breakthrough after another.
　　On a grassland 50 kilometers west of AddisAbaba， at the end of a winding road， stands animposing transformer substation. It is the largest500kV substation in the world， Holeta Substation， theEthiopian GDHA （Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam）power transmission and transformation project. Froma distance， this group of awe-inspiring "silver armoredsoldiers" is dutifully guarding the vast land.
　　In stark contrast t0 13 months of hot sunshine，Ethiopia's electricity supply was severely scarce. Before2014， the installed power generation capacity was only2 million kilowatts， and 83% of the population had noaccess to electricity. The general electrification rate in thecountryside was as low as 6%， and only l/3 0f people inthe capital had access to electricity. People often queuedup to charge their phones. 　　Given the extreme imbalance of energy and powerload the 500KV power transmission and transformationproject undertaken by State Grid China Electric PowerEquipment and Technology Co.， Ltd. （CET） is ofgreat significance for promoting Ethiopia's economicdevelopment and improving local people's lives.
　　"On the schematic diagram of Ethiopia's nationalgrid， a long red transmission line running from westto east points to the Blue Nile. This is the GDHA 500kV power transmission and transformation project，with the longest transmission line， the highest voltagelevel and the largest transmission capacity in Africa："said Jin Mingguang， Chinese field executive managerof the operation and maintenance project.
　　Today， this transmission and transformationproject， which is well known in Africa， not onlyplays an important role in improving the structureof Etluopia's power grid and solving the problemof power supply shortage in the capital area， butalso bears great significance in facilitating the cleanenergy export of Ethiopia and building the GlobalEnergy Interconnection （GEI）.
　　There was a time when Addis Ababa was silent after8 p.m.because of its weak infrastructure and inconvenienttransportation. Now， by 10 p.m.， there are still many shopsand restaurants open. Such vitality is inseparable from thepower supply and the running light rail.
　　The Addis Ababa Light Rail， East Africa's firsturban light rail system， is a sight to see on the roof ofAfrica. "Convenient transportation means more colorfulurban life. The city is more active because of the lightrail，" said Wang Wei， general manager of EthiopiaCompany of Shenzhen Metro Group Co.， Ltd.
　　The first light rail in East Africa， the largestpower transmission and transformation projectin Africa， the tallest building of 210 meters inEast Africa...A host of Chinese-built projectshave become Addis Ababa's new name card. Theheadquarters of the African Union， United NationsEconomic Commission for Africa （UNECA） and anumber of NGOs aiding Africa located here also putAddis Ababa at the forefront of Africa's intemationaldiplomacy. Ethiopia is showing amazing dynamismand vitality to the world.