Chinese visa among easiest, cheapest to get, Envoy says

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, has stated that Chinese visa is among the easiest and cheapest to get, adding that last year they issued more than 19,000 visas from its Lagos State Consulate.

She explained that in a bid to encourage more Nigerians to go to China the visa was made affordable to Nigerians, citing that it costs about N10,500 for a single entry Chinese Visa as against about N420,000 for Nigerian Visa for Chinese people.

This was at a China-Lagos media dialogue held at the consulate. Other members of the Chinese envoy included; Deputy Consul General, Mr. Jin Mingyu; Director, Bilateral Relations Department, Mr. Xu Fan; Director of Consul Staff Department, Mr. Bai Jianwen; Second Secretary, Bilateral Relations Department, Mr. Wu Yunjia; Second Secretary of Bilateral Relations Department, Mr. Luo Jianping; Consular Attache, Bilateral Relations Department, Mr. Hua Yihe and Consular Attache, Consul Staff Department, Mr. Huang Zhengyuan.

She said for example, a businessman who wants to travel and has been to China before within four years requires just a commercial indentation from his partners in China. For one who hasn’t been to China, he can ask his partner from China to apply from the government authorities on his behalf.

On China’s economy, she noted that in 2024 China’s economy continued to improve, achieving an economic growth rate target of 5 per cent in GDP, adding that last September, the government introduced policies that significantly improved the economy and they aim to implement more proactive fiscal and monetary policies to strengthen businesses for continued transformation of China’s economic growth.

“More of such policies would be implemented in 2025 to improve the methods of economic governance. Efforts would be made to actively promote transformation of China’s Economic roles and greatly impact the quality and sustainability of economic growth,” she added.

According to Yuqing, in the past 15 years, China has remained one of Africa’s largest trading partners and one of the main sources of foreign investment in Africa.

“China Direct investment in Africa in 2023 exceeded $40b and Africa is China’s second largest overseas contracting and engineering market with Chinese enterprises contributing business volume of $100b over the past decade,” she added.