The People’s Republic of China imports from Nigeria rose by 25 percent in the third quarter of 2023.
This according to stakeholders is an indication of positive bilateral trade between both countries.
This came even as the Chinese Consul General in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing, reinstated that China’s firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths, and cooperation in poverty reduction, and promotion of modernization of agriculture.
In a statement made available to Vanguard, Yuqing said: “China and Nigeria have built nice cooperation mechanism, broad cooperation platform, while practical cooperation in various fields are deepening and expanding.
Exciting results have been achieved in economic and trade cooperation.
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“In the first three quarters of 2023, China-Nigeria bilateral trade reached USD 17.25 billion, and China’s imports from Nigeria increased by 22.5 per cent.
“With the opening of Lekki Deep Sea Port and the first phase of Lagos Blue Line Light Railway constructed by Chinese enterprises, economic and social development in Nigeria is being promoted.”
She noted that the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, would like to extend sincere New Year wishes to friends from all walks of life in the consular area at this wonderful moment.
She said: “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you all for great contributions to the development of China-Africa, and China-Nigeria relations!
“2023 bears historical significance for the development of China-Africa relations, marking the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal to promote the concept of building a Global Community of Shared Future, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the principles guiding China’s Africa policy, including sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.
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“We work together with our African friends and draw strength from the China-Africa friendship and cooperation.
“Since 2013, China has helped construct more than 6,000 km of railways, 6,000km of roads and 80 large-scale power facilities in Africa. A series of landmark projects keep emerging one after another, such as the Mombasa–Nairobi Railway, Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port and the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Chinese enterprises have built more than half of the wireless stations and high-speed mobile broadband networks in Africa, laying more than 200,000 km of optical fiber and serving more than 900 million African people.
“China is Africa’s largest trading partner, contributing more than 20 percent to Africa’s economic growth, by 2022, China-Africa trade reached $282 billion, accounting for 20 percent of Africa’s total foreign trade.
“China’s FDI stock in Africa exceeds $47 billion, 1.8 times the 2013 figure.
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“China firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths suited to their own conditions, cooperates with African countries in poverty reduction, and promotes the modernization of African agriculture. China has built more than a dozen of Luban workshops in Africa, vigorously promoting the development and innovation of vocational education in Africa.
“China has built 25 economic and trade cooperation zones with Nigeria and other African countries to promote industrialization in Africa. China also supports Africa in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, works for a synergy between the BRI and Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the development strategies of various countries.
“These efforts bring us into a new phase of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. 2023 is a year of in-depth development of China-Nigeria relationship.”