On the evening of January 8, 2010, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said during an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) that the mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between China and Nigeria has developed rapidly and comprehensively in recent year. The two countries enjoy high economic and trade complementarities and great potential for cooperation.

He pointed out that between 2003 and 2008 the bilateral trade volume doubled and reached US$7.26 billion and Chinese businesses actually invested more than US$6.5 billion in Nigeria. The bilateral cooperation has covered a wide range of areas including energy, telecommunication, agriculture, spaceflight, infrastructure and finance. Chinese companies have entered multiple industries of Nigeria’s national economy and Nigerian businesses are actively exploring the Chinese market. In addition to the traditional trade, project contracting and labor service cooperation, the two sides have also tried other cooperation models like high-tech transfer, economic and trade cooperation zone and tripartite cooperation.

He said that China is willing to work closely with Nigeria to seek new areas and approaches of cooperation and pays special attention to strengthening the bilateral pragmatic cooperation on agriculture, manufacturing and high-tech industries. As a major part of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, high-tech cooperation boasts a bright future although it’s still at an initial stage.

Yang arrived at Abuja on January 8, kicking off his one-day visit to Nigeria. He held talks with Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe. The two foreign ministers attended the signing ceremony of relevant China-Nigeria cooperation documents and met with journalists jointly. Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan held a meeting with Yang on the afternoon.