President Muhammadu Buhari says bilateral ties between Nigeria and the Peoples Republic of China have achieved far-reaching and fruitful results on the basis of equity, mutual trust and mutual benefits.
The president made this known in a congratulatory letter to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Xinping on the occasion of the two nations’ independence anniversary on October 1. While Nigeria marks its 62nd anniversary, for China it’s the 73rd.
Buhari in the letter signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina thanked China for its support to Nigeria in various ways and pledged to seek more collaborations in elevating the strategic partnership between both countries to a new level.
President Xi on his part said the Sino-Nigerian relations enjoy “sound momentum, with political mutual trust being enhanced, cooperation in various fields yielding fruitful results and coordination on international and regional affairs being closer.”
“I highly value the development of China-Nigeria relations and would like to join efforts with you to promote the Strategic Partnership between our two countries and the two peoples. I wish the Federal Republic of Nigeria prosperity and its people happiness,” the Chinese leader said in a congratulatory letter to his Nigerian counterpart.
Meanwhile, trade volume between Nigeria and China rises to $12.02 billion in the first half of 2022, representing a 7.1% year-on-year increase and the highest in the African continent.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jianchun made this known at an event to commemorate the 73rd China National Day celebration and the 62nd Independence Day Anniversary of Nigeria at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja.
Mr Cui said the 51-year trade relations between both nations have resulted in shared prosperity in line with The 5GIST Nigeria-China GDP Strategy which includes Political Consonance, Economic Cooperation, Military and Security Collaboration, International Coordination and People’s communication.
The ambassador stated that the mutual trust between both nations is getting deepened and the Chinese government will continue to support Nigeria in its efforts to fight terrorism and insecurity by providing more assistance within its capacity to enhance Nigeria’s security capability.
He pledged the commitment of China to work together with Nigeria in safeguarding the interest of developing countries and upholding multilateralism and international justice within the framework of the United Nations.
