The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has pledged its commitment to fostering a healthy bilateral relationship with Nigeria, having paid a diplomatic visit to the National Sports Commission (NSC), in the wake of the country’s withdrawal from the just-concluded World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, The PUNCH reports.
Culture Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, Yang Jian Xing, expressed regret over the visa challenges that prompted Nigeria to withdraw from the event and pledged China’s commitment to the country’s vision for the development of sports.
‘I want to describe what has happened as an accident, and we are sorry and we regret it in its entirety. We are here to let the Sports Commission know that the Chinese Government holds Nigeria in high esteem’, Jian Xing said.
‘We are open to better collaboration with the National Sports Commission to boost diplomatic ties of both China and Nigeria in terms of Sports Training and Exchange programmes’.
‘Once again, I want to assure you that from next time we will try our best for this not to repeat itself, and we would also like to create a special channel for China and Nigeria Sports Communication’, he added.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, said the commission has accepted the gestures of regret by the Chinese Government and is ready to foster better collaboration for the future.
‘We are very happy to receive officials from the Chinese Embassy in our office today, and it shows the Chinese Government’s genuine disappointment for what happened, which for us is a huge sign of better things to come between both countries, especially in sports’.
‘We should at all times try to create positives out of things like this, and we are happy that this has further strengthened our relationship with the Chinese Embassy’.
Furthermore, Director General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade, expressed the body’s desire to build stronger sporting ties with China and allowed the incident of the visa glitch to serve as a springboard to a robust working relationship.
‘Your humility and diplomacy are the best I have seen anywhere, and I am very grateful that you best described the incident between the AFN, the Commission and your embassy as an accident, and we have all agreed to take it as such and move forward to better things’.
‘I want to thank you for everything, and the request for exchange programmes and training for our media and sportsmen and women. This is truly worthy of note. We are looking forward to a bigger and better relationship between Nigeria and China’, he added.
