China assures Nigeria, Africa of new era benefits

The Consul General of China in Lagos, Chao Xiaoliang, yesterday assured Nigeria of enhanced bilateral relations with his country as it enters a new era.

He gave the assurance at the just concluded 19th National Congress, which saw President Xi Jinping emerge again as General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, Xiaoliang said Nigeria and China have a lot in common in terms of national conditions and development strategy.

This led to the bilateral trade between the two countries amounting to $8.94 billion as at August 2017, which ranked third among African countries.

“As Consul-General in Lagos, I am interested in the significance of the 19th CPC National Congress to China-Nigeria relations. More so, as formal and informal communication lift our relations to a new level for the greater benefit of our citizens,” he said.

He also noted that Nigeria would benefit from the already disbursed half of the $60 billion funding support that China pledged to Africa at the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit in 2015.

Xiaoliang disclosed that the new era that would see a stronger and wealthier China, would promote new international relations with Africa as Beijing continues to hold peace, development, co-operation and mutual benefit as fundamental to its foreign policy.

“China remains firm in its commitment to strengthening friendship and co-operation with other countries on the basis peaceful co-existence, which include mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence.

“We are forging a new international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win co-operation,” he said.

Describing China as the largest economy in Asia and second in the world, he said on the home front, President Jinping had maintained a medium-high average growth rate of 7.2 per cent annually in the last five years, which contributed to about 30 per cent global growth with more than 60 million people lifted out of poverty.

He added that in the next five years, China would endeavour to import $10 trillion of goods and services with foreign investment amounting to $750 billion.

He said there would be focus on education, economy, among others while rural dwellers would be taken out of poverty in all countries.