Nigeria Largest Engineering Contracting Market For China – Embassy

The People's Republic of China has disclosed that Nigeria remains their major investment destination in Africa, stressing that growing political mutual trust had led to fruitful economic cooperation.

Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Qin Jian, who made the declaration in statement to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries, also revealed that Nigeria is the largest consumer of engineering services from the Asian nation.

Jian added that the policy of the new Chinese leadership is inspired by China's willingness to integrate its development with independent and sustainable development of African countries, so as to realize common development.

The statement read, "Last year, President Xi met with President Buhari in New York and Johannesburg respectively. The two leaders exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and issues of common concern, reached wide-ranging consensus, and charted the direction of future development of China-Nigeria strategic partnership.

"Now, Nigeria has become the largest engineering contracting market, the second largest export market, the third largest trading partner and major investment destination of China in Africa for year."

"We celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nigeria, a festive occasion for both Chinese and Nigerian people.

"China and Nigeria are strategic partners, and the biggest developing countries in the world and Africa respectively, with highly complementary economies and huge potential of pragmatic cooperation.

"In fact, China-Africa relations have kept good momentum of overall development in the past decades, with growing political mutual trust and frequent high-level exchanges, roaring fruitful economic cooperation and deepening mutual understanding between Chinese and African peoples."

He further underscored the "successful and historic" second edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa saw, President Xi Jinping proposed five major pillars for China-Africa relations.

According to the Chinese president, China and Africa should seek equality and mutual trust in politics, win-win cooperation in economy, mutual learning in civilisation, mutual assistance in security and unity and coordination in international affairs and 10 key cooperation plans with Africa in the fields of industrialisation, agriculture modernisation, infrastructure, etc.

"In the past, through the joint efforts between our two sides, the political mutual trust between our two countries has been enhanced, economic ties forged closer and mutual understanding between our two peoples deepened further."

He continued "These will serve as an all-around blueprint for China's cooperation with Africa in a period to come and symbolise that China-Africa relations will take a big stride and enter a new era.

"To fulfil the 10 plans, China has pledged 60 billion US dollars in development funding to Africa.

"When carrying out cooperation with Africa, China sticks to the principle of 'Four noes and three priorities, namely, attaching no political conditions, interfering in no African countries' internal affairs, raising no demanding requirements and making no empty promises as well as prioritising Africa's actual demands, prioritising improvement of African people's livelihood and prioritising enhancement of Africa's capacity for independent development.

"In the days ahead, the Chinese side will firmly implement the policy of "sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith" towards Africa put forward by President Xi, uphold the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit and work with the African friends to earnestly put into practice every result yielded at the summit."

Source: Nigeria Largest Engineering Contracting Market For China – Embassy