SAN FRANCISCO, July 04, (THEWILL) – Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has stated that both President Muhammadu Buhari and Chinese President Xi Jinping have built the foundation for a strong, lasting Nigeria-China relationship.
Speaking on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja during a courtesy call by a Chinese delegation, which consisted Chinese members of the restored Nigeria-China Economic and Technical Joint Commission, led by the Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr. Qiam Keming, Prof. Osinbajo lauded the existing excellent relations between Nigeria and the Peoples Republic of China.
“I think it’s fair to say the foundation for a very strong and lasting relationship between Nigeria and China has been built by both our President, President Muhammadu Buhari and President Xi Jinping of China,” he declared.
“President Muhammadu Buhari considers our relationship with China a priority and I am sure in your discussions with the Minister of Budget & National Planning, he would have told you the importance the President attaches to our relationship.”
Vice President Osinbajo noted that the relationship between the two countries was being further enhanced by President Buhari through the resuscitation of the Commission, which met last in 2009 and had just resumed its meeting for the first time since then.
He commended the fruitful deliberations between the two countries on the platform of the Nigeria-China Joint Cooperation Commission as he was briefed at the meeting today attended by four federal Ministers: Budget & National Planning; Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Agriculture & Rural Development; Chief Audu Ogbeh, Information & Culture; Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Minister of State for Budget & Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, among other top federal government functionaries.
Prof. Osinbajo expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the joint commission’s meeting in Nigeria, stating that “the various subjects discussed are those we consider important especially because they are so important for the economic advancement of our country.”
Earlier, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and leader of the Chinese delegation, Mr. Qiam Keming told the Vice President that the objective of the visit to Nigeria “is to implement the outcome of the last meetings between the Presidents of Nigeria and China and to enhance existing cordial friendship and bilateral trade relations between the two countries”.
While praising President Buhari who has met with his Chinese counterpart three times already including at a state visit to China, Keming stressed the importance of strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries, stating that China was ready to partner with Nigeria in agriculture modernization, infrastructure development, industrialization and the diversification of Nigeria’s economy.
