BREAKING: President Tinubu to meet top Chinese CEOs, seeks economic recovery
By Kunle Sanni
President Bola Tinubu’s upcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China, scheduled for September, is expected to include meetings with selected chief executive officers of 10 major Chinese corporations with assets worth over $3 trillion across multiple sectors of the economy, the presidency has said.
Ajuri Ngelale disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing State House reporters at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said that during the visit, President Tinubu would meet with his counterpart, President Xi Jinping, to sign several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and engage with 10 major Chinese corporations.
The meetings will cover multiple sectors of the economy, including information and communications technology, refining, oil and gas, aluminum production, seaport construction, harbor construction and dredging services, financial services, satellite technology development, and other critical sectors.
The presidential spokesperson also said the President would conduct site visits to two major Chinese corporations: Huawei Technologies and the China Rail and Construction Corporation (CRCC).
Ngelale stated that the engagement aims to achieve one of President Tinubu’s top agenda items, which is the completion of the Ibadan to Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano high-speed rail line.
Ngelale said, “His Excellency, Mr. President, will meet 10 selected chief executive officers of major Chinese corporations with assets under management totaling over $3 trillion across multiple sectors of the economy, including information and communications technology, refining, oil and gas, aluminum production, seaport construction, harbor construction and dredging services, financial services, satellite technology development, as well as many other critical sectors. Mr. President will also meet with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, where several MOUs will be signed.
“The MOUs will involve agreements in deepening cooperation in the green economy, agriculture, satellite technology development, media, enterprise development and promotion, as well as blue economic development and national planning cooperation.
“This will be part of a broader engagement where the two heads of state will discuss matters of mutual interest, not just in the economy, but also on issues of national, regional, and international security.”
FOCAC Summit
He mentioned that the President would attend the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, where he would deliver remarks on peace and security in the region and in Africa as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Ngelale also stated that President Tinubu will engage with Chinese leaders on various important matters. He said the engagement is expected to produce tangible, immediate, and future benefits for the Nigerian economy and the Nigerian people.
“Furthermore, His Excellency, Mr. President, will join the FOCAC Summit, where several African heads of state will engage with Chinese leaders on various important matters. At this summit, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, will deliver remarks on behalf of the region and will proceed to the high-level peace and security plenary, where he will further deliver remarks on peace and security in the region and in Africa in his capacity as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This engagement is expected to yield very tangible, immediate, and future dividends for the Nigerian economy and for the benefit of the Nigerian people. The President is placing a premium on deliverables, ensuring that this is not just a talk shop, but that it yields results for our people, justifying any expenditure made during the course of this trip.”
