President Muhammadu Buhari has written his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping to commemorate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Nigeria and China.
In the letter, the President expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far and thanked China for its support in defence matters and infrastructure development of Nigeria, among others.
Buhari also expressed delight with the Chinese people all over the world as they mark the new Chinese Year of the Ox on February 12, 2021.
He said: “It is now 50 years since the establishment of Nigeria-China diplomatic relations and I am delighted that the bilateral ties have achieved far-reaching and fruitful results based on close coordination and mutual trust, bringing great benefits to our countries and peoples.
“As celebrations of the Chinese Year of the Ox commence on February, February 12, 2021, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I extend my warm and sincere greetings and wishes to you and the Chinese people for a promising and auspicious Lunar New Year.”
He said Nigeria was satisfied with the progress of bilateral relations and thanked China for its support for the country in various ways, including building rails, roads, power and defence, among other areas.
President Buhari noted that since the COVID-19 outbreak, China had been working with Nigeria and other African countries to safeguard the citizens and adding new dimensions to the bilateral relations.
“We acknowledge that Chinese support has tremendously strengthened our efforts at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nigeria and China have witnessed steady development of their strategic partnership. In the face of significant challenges being faced by the international community, the two sides are upholding a common position of preserving multilateralism, not interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and safeguarding common interest of developing countries.
“This year is important for China-Nigeria relations. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between Nigeria and China, as well as between Africa and China.
“Nigeria is ready to work with China to make the new session of FOCAC this year a success,” he added.
