The African Union inaugurated Saturday its new high-rise headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, built and donated by China at a cost of $200 million. "The towering complex speaks volumes about our friendship to the African people, and testifies to our strong resolve to support African development," said Jia Qinglin, chairman of China's political advisory body, the People's Political Consultative Conference.
The sleek edifice - Addis Ababa's tallest - will host the African Union summit which gathers African heads of state. "This complex is a reflection of the new Africa," said African Union chairman, Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema at the opening ceremony.