Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 18, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
China is ready to work with Nigeria to promote more concrete results in the joint building of the Belt and Road, and to assist Nigeria and other African countries in achieving industrialization and agricultural modernization, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.
Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who was attending the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Wednesday.
Xi said that this year marks the 10th anniversary of his proposing the Belt and Road Initiative and China's policy toward Africa featuring sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.
China-Nigeria cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road has also shown remarkable highlights, with a large number of cooperation projects in railways, ports, power plants and communication networks being carried out one after another, and significant achievements are being made in the construction of a free-trade zone, he added.
Xi emphasized that since China and Nigeria established diplomatic ties more than half a century ago, both countries have always adhered to mutual respect and mutual benefit.
Faced with a world full of uncertainties and turbulence, China and Nigeria need to strengthen unity and cooperation more than ever before, he said.
Noting that China supports Nigeria in pursuing a modernization path that suits its national conditions, Xi said that China is willing to strengthen personnel exchanges at all levels and promote high-quality pragmatic cooperation with Nigeria.
China supports Nigeria in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and is willing to strengthen strategic coordination with it to promote the democratization of international relations and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, he added.
Shettima congratulated China on successfully hosting the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
He said that China and Nigeria have been good friends who share weal and woe and help and support each other at all times.
China has always respected Nigeria and other African countries and treated them on an equal footing, never imposes its will on them, and has assisted them in seeking independence and development, he said.
Shettima said that Nigeria attaches great importance to the development of its relationship with China, adheres to the one-China policy and is committed to the high-level development of Nigeria-China relations.
Nigeria is willing to deepen cooperation with China in joint building of the Belt and Road to elevate bilateral relations to a new level, he added.
