On the afternoon of August 27, President Jiang Zemin held talks with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Great Hall of the People.

President Jiang expressed gladness at meeting President Obasanjo again in Beijing. Jiang said that President Obasanjo’s current state visit to China will further enhance mutual understanding and the friendship between China and Nigeria and the two peoples, pushing bilateral friendly relations and cooperation to develop forward.

Jiang said that China and Nigeria, two populous developing countries in the world, share extensive interests in safeguarding world peace, promoting South-South cooperation, developing their own national economy and advancing common prosperity in the world. We have broad prospects in cooperation. To further enhance the bilateral cooperative relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two, but also conducive to world peace and development. The Chinese government and people are ready to join hands with the Nigerian government and people to work for further expanded and deepened China-Nigeria friendly relations and cooperation. Jiang, on behalf of the Chinese government, outlined a four-point proposal for advancing bilateral ties in the new century. The four-points are sincere friendship and mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation for common development, enhancement of consultations and mutual support, and facing the future with strategic vision.

Obasanjo said he highly appreciates Jiang's four-point proposal and believes such a relationship could be further strengthened in the new century.

Jiang pointed out that both China and Nigeria now face up to the challenges brought by economic globalization. To enhance consultations and cooperation on major international issues between the two sides is beneficial to the role of developing countries in international affairs and the legal interests of developing countries.

Obasanjo fully agreed with Jiang's views on bilateral ties and the regional situation. He said that Nigeria attaches importance to relations with China. China is a reliable friend of Nigeria. He spoke highly of the remarkable progress and great economic changes achieved by China in its reform and opening-up drive.

He expressed the hope that the two countries can expand and strengthen mutually beneficial ties, in particular in telecommunications, energy, transportation and other fields. Jiang said that quite a number of competent Chinese companies are willing to participate in the economic construction in Nigeria.

On the human rights issue, Obasanjo said that some western countries have made groundless attack against China by playing double standards on this issue. Nigeria disagrees with those western countries.  To feed its people and reach the goal of ample food and clothing is the prime target for the developing countries.  China is the most populous country in the world and has successfully solved the problems of food and clothing for its 1.2 billion population. This is the best way of defending human rights.

Jiang agreed with Obasanjo’s views on human rights. He said that China and Nigeria are Asian and African countries with a big population respectively. Our goal is to realize people’s basic right to subsistence. We hold no objection to the universal principles of human rights, but countries should have different understanding of human rights based upon different national situations.  

Jiang express thanks and appreciation to Nigeria for siding unswervingly with China on such major issues as human rights.

Obasanjo invited Jiang to visit Nigeria at his convenience and Jiang expressed thanks for that.

After the talks, the two heads of state attended a signing ceremony. The two sides signed six documents, including a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and a trade agreement between the two governments.