Nigeria-China relationship intact, says Petroleum minister

Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva has reiterated that bilateral relationship between Nigeria and China remain intact and that the two regional giant nations will continue to build on the existing symbiotic relation.

Chief Sylva said this on Thursday while meeting with the Chines Ambassador to Nigeria, CUI Jianchun in his office at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

A statement signed by the Special Assistant to the minister, Garba Deen Mohammed, said the two top officials agreed on excellent relations that exist between their two countries and expressed the need to deepen this partnership in every areas of national developnent.

At the meeting, the two nation agreed among other issues, that the recent revocation of some OMLs held by Addax (a Chinese owned company) was purely a commercial decision and will not have any impact on the excellent relationship between the two countries.

Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa state and Ambassador CUI Jianchun concluded their discussions with the Chinese Ambassador extending an invitation to the Nigeria Minister of State to visit China.

Responding, Minister Sylva graciously accepted the invitation and promised to pay a visit to China later in the year.