An Unbreakable Bond

Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria talks about bilateral ties

February 10 marks the 50th anni-versary of diplomatic ties between China and Nigeria. On this occa-sion, Zhao Yong, Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, spoke to ChinAfrica about the achievements in China-Nigeria relations in the past 50 years. The following is an excerpt of the interview.

ChinAfrica: What is the current status of the relationship between the two countries? How important is it as part of ChinaAfrica cooperation?

Zhao Yong: China and Nigeria established diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971, and in 2005, the two countries issued a joint communiqué to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership. During the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on ChinaAfrica Cooperation, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Over the past 50 years, the two countries have enjoyed mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual support. Especially, the recent years have seen rapid development of the bilateral relations under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, with frequent high-level exchanges and deepening political mutual trust. The Nigerian Government firmly adheres to one-China policy, and China actively supports Nigeria’s efforts to maintain national peace and stability and pursue economic and social development. The two countries have carried out mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and economic development, security and culture, among other areas, which has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries.