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From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed visit to China next month, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. GU Xiaojie, has said that the visit would upgrade relations between both countries by enabling them explore new areas of cooperation.
The Chinese envoy told newsmen after a closed door meeting with the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, in his office in Abuja yesterday, that their discussions focused on how to concretise moves initiated by the Minister during his recent visit to China.
Xiaojie assured the Minister of China’s continuous support in the areas of Science and Technology, Agriculture and Trade and Investments.
He noted that Nigeria was the only country with which China signed bilateral agreement on space technology, and that this agreement will be sustained for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“We discussed the cooperation with Nigeria in the area of science and technology. I congratulate him on his recent visit to China. We also discussed within the framework of the state visit of Nigeria’s President to China; that we are discussing with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. We are looking forward to President Muhammadu Buhari visiting China in the near future, probably in April.
“It will go a long way in upgrading the relations between China and Nigeria; presently we have strategic partnership,” Xiaojie stated.
On trade relations with Nigeria, the Chinese Ambassador put the last year’s trade volume at $14.9 billion even as he noted that it was higher in 2015. Nonetheless, he explained that the trade volume did not actually go down, but that it was the price that did.
Xiaojie named agriculture, mining and infrastructure as the likely areas of further cooperation in view of Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.
Earlier, the Minister assured the envoy that Nigeria will work closely with China in the area of science and technology, stressing that the Ministry will keep to any agreements signed.
