The Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Lin Jing has said the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in September this year will strengthen Nigeria-China bilateral relations Mr. Jing who stated this during a round table dialogue on “China Initiated Belt and Roads” FOCAC process and the prospects of deepening China-Africa and China-Nigeria Cooperation, organized by the Centre for China Studies in Abuja, Nigeria.
Nigeria will participate in the 2018 summit of Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) with particular interest on the Belt and Roads Initiative, BRI, scheduled to hold in Beijing in September this year.
BRI is a massive trade and infrastructure project that aims to link China physically and financially to dozen of economies across Asia Europe, Africa and Oceania.
Mr. Jing stated that BRI will provide new opportunities, synergise development strategies, add prospects for bilateral practical cooperation, grant new perspectives for people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
According to him, the FOCAC summit will bring together Chinese and African leaders again; they will discuss China-Africa cooperation in the new era.
He said that the leaders would focus on jointly advancing the Belt and Road initiative and turning China and Africa into a community with a shared future.
“We firmly believe the forthcoming summit is bound to be great success which will deliver bountiful benefits for both Chinese and African peoples,” he said.”
“In our new endeavour to build a global community with a shared future, Africa is an indispensable partner,” Mr. Jing explained.”
On his part, the Desk Officer for Asia-Pacific in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, Mr. Aminu Abdulhameel noted that Nigeria-China diplomatic relations had span for over 47 years which he said had been very cordial.
“There have been many attempts by both governments to consolidate this relationship,’’ according to Mr. Abdulhamed.
“We believe in Foreign Affairs that Road and Belt initiative under FOCAC is going to provide avenue for the relationship to be further strengthened.”
“We will ensure that China and Nigeria relationship is taken to a better height, the summit will provide an avenue for Africa and China come together to further strengthen relationship,” he said.
“The upcoming FOCAC in Beijing is going to provide an avenue where African countries will once again come together with China and we believe that Nigeria should take this opportunity to ensure that Nigeria’s interest is protected and promoted during the summit,” he said.
The Desk Officer for Asia-Pacific in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, Mr. Aminu Abdulhameel noted that Nigeria-China diplomatic relations had span for over 47 years which he said had been very cordial.
“We believe in Foreign Affairs that Road and Belt initiative under FOCAC is going to provide avenue for the relationship to be further strengthened.”
“We will ensure that China and Nigeria relationship is taken to a better height, the summit will provide an avenue for Africa and China come together to further strengthen relationship,” he said.
“The upcoming FOCAC in Beijing is going to provide an avenue where African countries will once again come together with China and we believe that Nigeria should take this opportunity to ensure that Nigeria’s interest is protected and promoted during the summit,” he said.
The Deputy Director International Cooperation in Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and National Planning Mr. Simon Ileuma said that China had played a very key role in the development of Nigeria’s economy.
He said that Chinese government has been very supportive to Nigeria economy, hence Nigerians should explore the opportunity availed by forthcoming FOCAC.
“The Chinese Government has been forthcoming in providing long term loans for the country, these loans have been used in capital projects that have high internal rate of return and this is what we have been benefiting from the Chinese government, he disclosed.”
“If you look at the rail project from Kaduna to Abuja it has given us a high rate of return, we are also looking at the one which is recently being undertaken in the Lagos axis which will also give us another high rate of return, and we are borrowing the money to finance these projects.”
“The Chinese has started the Lagos -Kano rail projects, the coastal rail projects from Calabar to Lagos, the hydroelectric project in Mambilla which has started and the Lagos-Ibadan rail projects which have also started.”
