Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing, the capital city of China.
Shettima is in China to represent Nigeria at the 3rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation scheduled for 17-18 October 2023.
Speaking during the engagement, Han Zheng said under the leadership of the two heads of state, China-Nigeria friendly exchanges and practical cooperation have flourished.
“China has always viewed China-Nigeria relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and is willing to work with Nigeria to further enhance political mutual trust, jointly promote modernization, and create a model of unity and cooperation among major developing countries,” Zheng said.
“In the 10 years since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, it has become a public product and cooperation platform recognized by the international community. Nigeria is a pilot country for China-Africa cooperation in jointly building the “Belt and Road”.
“China is willing to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in various fields and lead the improvement and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation.”
Also speaking, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria is grateful to China for its long-term support to Nigeria and African countries.
“The Belt and Road initiative provides important guidance for international development cooperation. Nigeria is willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China and continuously deepen the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China,” Shettima said.
In 2013, President Xi Jinping unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations.
The initiative is the largest infrastructure and investment project in history, covering more than 150 countries, with China spending over $4 trillion on infrastructural investments as of 2023.
Through the BRI, China has made its mark worldwide by funding over 2,900 projects in roads, railways, bridges, hospitals, schools and airports in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, thus promoting trade and economic development of member countries.
Some BRI projects in Nigeria include the Abuja Metro Light Rail, Lekki Free Trade Zones, Lagos Blue Rail, Abuja-Kaduna rail line and the terminal expansion of federal airports.
