Ethiopia shuns China-backed consortium in favour of US
Sun Online Desk
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Washington has gained a major victory in its push to challenge Beijing's economic influence around the world as a US-backed consortium beat another financed by China in a closely watched telecommunications auction in Ethiopia.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Ethiopia said on Saturday that it tapped a group of telecommunications companies led by the UK's Vodafone Group PLC to build a nationwide 5G-capable wireless network. The group had financial backing from a newly created US foreign aid agency for the multibillion-dollar project.
The losing bidder was South Africa's MTN Group Ltd., whose proposal was financed partly by a Chinese investor.