Tinubu, Xi Jinping to Sign Five MoUs Today

•President to be honoured with 21-gun salute, inspects guard of honour at Great Hall

•To also lay wreath in honour of fallen hero 

•Holds dinner with Chinese CEOs

•Nigeria, China strengthen ties in rail infrastructure devt, Alkali leads delegation

Deji Elumoye in Beijing, China and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

After taking comprehensive briefings from some of his ministers and other key government officials, President Bola Tinubu will today meet with President Xi Jinping of China at occasions, where they are both due to sign about five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).

This will mark the formal commencement of Tinubu’s official visit to the People’s Republic of China, with a visit to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he would be received by Jinping.

The Nigerian president, who would also inspect a guard of honour on arrival at the Great Hall of the People, would lay a wreath in honour of fallen heroes, and receive a 21-gun salute.

The high-powered bilateral agreements between the two nations are intended to focus on key areas, including green economy, agriculture, satellite technology development, media enterprise development and promotion, blue economic development, and national planning cooperation.

The meeting would also provide a platform for the two heads of state to discuss matters of mutual interest, spanning economic cooperation, national, regional, and international security, and other pressing global issues.

Equally, today, Tinubu is expected to hold a roundtable dinner with selected chief executive officers (CEOs) of Chinese firms at China World Hotel in Beijing.

He had earlier, yesterday, paid site visits to two prominent Chinese corporations – Huawei Technologies and the China Rail and Construction Corporation (CRCC) – to fast-track the completion of the Ibadan to Abuja segment of the Lagos to Kano high-speed rail line.

Tinubu would also engage in strategic meetings with 10 chief executives of major Chinese corporations, boasting assets under management totalling over $3 trillion, across various sectors, including ICT, oil and gas, aluminium production, seaport construction, financial services, and satellite technology development.

The visit is expected to yield immediate and long-term benefits for the Nigerian economy and the people, underscoring the president’s commitment to economic growth and development.

The Nigerian president would also feature at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) holding in Beijing from Wednesday, September 4, to Friday, September 6.

The conference, with the theme, “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” would be a significant event, with leaders from China and Africa gathering to discuss a shared future.

Tinubu, as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, will join other African leaders at the FOCAC summit and would deliver key remarks on behalf of the region on Thursday, to address matters of mutual interest between China and Africa.

The president would further deliver an eight-minute speech on peace and security, same Thursday, and participate in the high-level peace and security plenary, where he would share Nigeria’s perspective on regional and continental security challenges.

The Nigerian government led another delegation to Beijing for a crucial meeting with senior officials of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on rail infrastructure development.

The delegation from Nigeria’s Ministry of Transportation and Nigerian Railway Corporation was led by Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Alkali.

The gathering aimed to evaluate the progress made in enhancing Nigeria’s railway infrastructure through the collaborative efforts of the ministry and CCECC.

The two parties were to reflect on the successful projects completed and those still in progress. The discussions on both sides would be on sharing their experiences, challenges, and strategies for overcoming obstacles.

The exchange would focus on improving efficiency and ensuring the successful implementation of future projects, while taking on added significance with the president’s current visit to China.

The sense of urgency and importance was palpable, as the delegation sought to finalise plans and solidify partnerships before Tinubu’s visit.

With a successful outing, the stage would be set for a new era of cooperation between Nigeria and China in the realm of railway infrastructure development.