China's fleet has arrived in the Nigerian city of Lagos to start a five-day visit aimed at cementing relations between the countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said in a statement.
"Ambassador Cui [Jianchun] said at the welcoming ceremony that the visit is an important milestone in China-Nigeria relations in recent years and demonstrates the high degree of political mutual trust between the two countries and has a profound impact on development," the statement said.
For his part, Nigerian Rear Admiral Joseph Akpan welcomed the fleet led by the destroyer Nanning and expressed the country's willingness to engage in security work with Beijing to maintain peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea.
"Rear Admiral Akpan warmly welcomed the visit of the Chinese Navy, saying the visit would further strengthen relations between the two countries," the diplomatic body added.
In early June, Chinese President Xi Jinping described Nigeria as important to the continent and the world in general and reiterated the focus on fostering bilateral relations.
The newly elected president of the West African nation, Bola Tinubu, noted that Nigeria is open for cooperation in business and construction, promising that his administration will focus on improving conditions for doing business in the country.
"I look forward to stronger diplomatic ties and increased economic cooperation between our two countries," Tinubu said in early June during his meeting with the Special Envoy of the Chinese President Peng Qinghua.
Nigeria is among China's key development partners in Africa. Chinese investments in the country total more than $20 billion, mainly in fields such as the creation of export processing zones, oil production and agriculture.
According to China's ambassador to Nigeria, Beijing is a major contributor to its infrastructure development.