Editing Haile Selassie (section)

==== Foreign relations ====

{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Mao Zedong with Emperor Haile Selassie I.webp
| caption1          = In Beijing, China, with Chinese leader and Chairman of the CPC [[Mao Zedong]] in 1971. Selassie also met Chinese Premier [[Zhou Enlai]] in his state visit.
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As these issues began to pile up, Selassie left much of domestic governance to Aklilu Habte-Wold and concentrated more on foreign affairs. Over the previous two decades, Ethiopia had received over 400 million dollars in aid, 140 million of that being for the Ethiopian military, and 240 million for economic assistance.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Campbell|first=John Franklin|date=1 April 1970|title=Rumblings Along the Red Sea: The Eritrean Question|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/eritrea/1970-04-01/rumblings-along-red-sea-eritrean-question|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126095131/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/eritrea/1970-04-01/rumblings-along-red-sea-eritrean-question|archive-date=26 November 2018|work=[[Foreign Affairs]]}}</ref>

Outside Ethiopia, Selassie continued to enjoy enormous prestige and respect. As the longest-serving head of state in power, he was often given precedence over other leaders at state events, such as the [[state funeral]]s of [[State funeral of John F. Kennedy|John F. Kennedy]] and [[Charles de Gaulle]], the summits of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]], and the [[2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy|1971 celebration]] of the 2,500 years of the [[History of Iran|Persian Empire]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=11 November 1970|title=France Mourns de Gaulle; World Leaders to Attend a Service at Notre Dame|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/11/archives/france-mourns-de-gaulle-world-leaders-to-attend-a-service-at-notre.html|access-date=30 December 2023|archive-date=13 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413194204/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/11/archives/france-mourns-de-gaulle-world-leaders-to-attend-a-service-at-notre.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Tait|first=Robert|date=22 September 2005|title=Iran to rebuild spectacular tent city at Persepolis|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/sep/22/arts.iran|access-date=30 December 2023|archive-date=13 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813144554/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/sep/22/arts.iran|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In 1970, Selassie visited Italy as a guest of President [[Giuseppe Saragat]], and in [[Milan]] he met [[Giordano Dell'Amore]], President of the Italian Savings Banks Association. He visited China in October 1971, and was the first foreign head of state to meet [[Mao Zedong]] following the death of Mao's designated successor [[Lin Biao]] in a plane crash in Mongolia.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1971|title=People's Republic of China: Emperor Haile Selassie Meets Chairman Mao, Then Visits University and Great Wall|url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/228687/|website=[[Pathé News]]|access-date=30 December 2023|archive-date=30 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230194801/https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/228687/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>T. Bianchi and M.A. Romani (eds),''Giordano Dell'Amore'', EGEA, Milan, 2013, p. 79.</ref>

{{Multiple image
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| image1            = The Emperor in the UN General Assembly.png
| image2            = 1970 UN speech by H.I.M Haile Selassie I.ogg
| footer            = Selassie's speech regarding [[human rights]] on 23 October 1970, which marked the 25th anniversary of the [[United Nations]]' founding
}}

Selassie went to meet [[Pope Paul VI]] in 1970 at [[Vatican City]], where they discussed issues regarding both their countries and history.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 November 1970|title=SYND 9-11-70 Ethiopian Emperor Selassie arrives at the Vatican and meets with Pope Paul and they exchange gifts|url=https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=9b13e1d5a84c7daa7976f9cdbb6eab9d&mediatype=video&source=youtube|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241108154858/https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=9b13e1d5a84c7daa7976f9cdbb6eab9d&mediatype=video&source=youtube|archive-date=8 November 2024|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> 

[[File:Pope with Emperor.png|thumb|left|Selassie with [[Pope Paul VI]] at the [[Holy See]], 10 November 1970]]