President Bola Tinubu is poised to deepen ties with China as he meets today with President Xi Jinping, where they will sign five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) across critical sectors. This marks the official start of Tinubu’s state visit to China, highlighted by a grand reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Upon arrival, President Tinubu will be greeted with a guard of honour, a 21-gun salute, and will lay a wreath in tribute to fallen heroes, a gesture underscoring the significance of this diplomatic engagement. The MOUs to be signed will cover vital areas such as the green economy, agricultural development, satellite technology, media collaboration, blue economy initiatives, and national planning cooperation, signalling a robust partnership between the two nations.
The summit between the two leaders will also serve as a platform to discuss a wide array of mutual interests, including economic cooperation, regional and international security, and pressing global issues.
Later today, President Tinubu is expected to attend a roundtable dinner with selected CEOs of leading Chinese companies at the China World Hotel, Beijing. Yesterday, he visited Huawei Technologies and the China Rail and Construction Corporation (CRCC), underscoring his commitment to accelerating the completion of the Ibadan to Abuja segment of the Lagos to Kano high-speed rail line.
Furthermore, Tinubu will hold strategic discussions with the top executives of ten major Chinese corporations, collectively managing assets worth over $3 trillion. These talks, covering sectors like ICT, oil and gas, aluminium production, seaport construction, financial services, and satellite technology, are expected to yield significant benefits for Nigeria’s economy in both the short and long term.
The visit comes ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where President Tinubu will represent the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as its chairman. The summit, themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” will see African and Chinese leaders converge to discuss a shared vision for the future.
On Thursday, Tinubu will deliver key remarks on behalf of ECOWAS, focusing on peace and security, and participate in a high-level plenary session, where he will share Nigeria’s insights on regional and continental security challenges.
In parallel, Nigeria’s Ministry of Transportation, led by Senator Sa’idu Alkali, has also sent a delegation to Beijing for critical discussions with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) regarding the advancement of Nigeria’s railway infrastructure. The meetings are intended to review past successes, address ongoing challenges, and finalise plans for future collaborations. These discussions align with President Tinubu’s visit, setting the stage for a new era of cooperation between Nigeria and China in railway development.
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With these strategic engagements, the visit is expected to catalyse economic growth and development, further solidifying Nigeria’s partnership with China.
