Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L, front) holds talks with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (R, front) in Abuja, Nigeria, May 7, 2014. Photo: Xinhua

 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Nigeria and met with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday, aiming to boost bilateral ties with the largest economy in Africa during the second leg of his first Africa visit since he took office in March 2013.

China is willing to work with Nigeria to further broaden bilateral trade and investment cooperation and deepen collaboration in areas such as infrastructure construction, agriculture, energy and aeronautic and astronautic industries, Li said.

The Chinese premier is scheduled to attend the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, from Wednesday.

China encourages more Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Nigeria's manufacturing sector, Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said on Wednesday.

Nigeria is China's third largest investment destination in Africa and China's accumulated investment in Nigeria reached $1.95 billion by the end of 2012. Trade value between China and Nigeria reached $13.6 billion in 2013, Gao said.

Chinese enterprises have repaired an accumulated length of 4,500 kilometers of railway in Nigeria since 1995, and currently they are building modern railways and metropolitan light rails there, he said.

State-owned China Railway Construction Corporation signed a $13.1 billion coastal railway construction project with Nigeria on Monday, important progress in the context of Li's "high-speed railway diplomacy."

Chinese enterprises have also actively embarked on cooperation in the construction of power plants, highways and airport terminals in Nigeria.

Li's visit will strengthen mutual political trust, as well as expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields, said Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Gu Xiaojie, noting that Nigeria has urgent needs in infrastructure development, energy and hydropower.

Wole Akande, a Nigeria-born international economic expert, said the strength of the Chinese delegation to the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa "is an indication of the seriousness which Beijing attaches to its economic relationship with Africa, and Nigeria in particular."

Xinhua