On the evening of January 16, 2006, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing held talks with Nigerian Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji in Abuja.

Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 35 years ago, bilateral relations have witnessed smooth development. During his visit to China last year, President Obasanjo reached consensus with President Hu Jintao on establishing a strategic partnership of mutual political trust, mutual economic benefits and mutual assistance in international affairs, which has elevated bilateral relations to a new level. Adeniji said that Nigeria hopes to continue maintaining sound development momentum in the current bilateral relations. The Nigerian government unswervingly pursues the one-China policy and would like to strengthen mutual exchange with China in the process of national development and promote common development.

In order to steadily develop bilateral strategic partnership, both sides agreed to make efforts in the following four aspects. First, to strengthen political exchanges and make good use of the consultations between the two Foreign Ministries and other mechanisms. Second, to deepen and expand economic and trade cooperation. Nigeria is China's important trading partner and investment destination in Africa. Both sides should further expand bilateral trade scale and realize trade balance in this process. Nigeria welcomes more Chinese businesses to invest there and both sides can enhance cooperation in the major areas of agriculture, energy, electric power, infrastructure, communications and satellites. Third, to promote cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation. China will continue offering scholarship opportunities to Nigerian students and Nigeria hopes to increase teaching in Chinese around the country. Fourth, both sides should strengthen cooperation in international affairs and enhance, through the UN and other multilateral international organizations, consultations and coordination on human rights, peacekeeping, development aid, HIV/AIDS prevention and other major issues in a bid to jointly safeguard rights and interest of developing nations. Nigeria appreciates and welcomes China's African Policy issued by the Chinese government recently and hopes that China will continue to support and participate in Africa's peace and development process. Both sides agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation within the framework of China-Africa Cooperation Forum, push the Forum to score more achievements and promote the development of China-Africa relations in the new situation.

Following the talks, the two Foreign Ministers signed the memorandum of understanding on establishing the strategic partnership between both countries and the agreement on economic and technological cooperation between the two governments.

On the same day, at the inaugural ceremony of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Monrovia, Li held cordial talks with Nigerian President Obasanjo. Obasanjo indicated his willingness to continue joint efforts with Chinese leaders to push for steady development of bilateral friendly cooperative relations.