Bimbo Ogunnaike
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian has advised the people of Taraba State not to panic as the Chinese Government was working harder to curtail the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Pingjian gave the advice on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba at the Government House in Jalingo.
The Ambassador said the purpose of his visit to the state was to explore ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation with the state government.
He said that the cooperation would go a long way in improving the socio-economic development of the two partners.
He recalled that the Nigeria -China bilateral trade in the past had reached a historical height of over 19 billion dollars and urged for the continuation of the beneficial relationship.
The ambassador advised his compatriot to live in peace with Nigerians and to respect the locals and their cultures as well as obey the constituted authority.
Pingjian stressed that the inception of Forum on China African Cooperation for 2020 had increased significantly the Nigeria -China bilateral relationships.
The Chinese ambassador appreciated the hospitality of Taraba people toward the Chinese citizens.
According to him, the relationship between Nigeria and China can only be described as that of twin brothers as the two countries shared a lot of similarities.
Ishaku, represented by the State Deputy Governor Haruna Manu assured the ambassador that his administration had been collaborating with the Chinese in the areas of road construction and other critical infrastructure in the state.
The Governor appreciated the enormous contributions of the Chinese to the socio-economic development of the state in particular and Nigeria at large.
He assured the ambassador that the Chinese citizens would continue to be protected and their welfare would not be taken for granted.
Ishaku said the Chinese who were residents in the state have been living a productive and peaceful life with the people of the state.
He appreciated the role played by the Chinese toward the development of the state.
He said his administration remained committed toward strengthening bilateral ties with the Chinese especially in the areas of trade and construction among others.
The governor, while commiserating with the Chinese Government over the deadly coronavirus outbreak, said the Taraba government was optimistic that the country would overcome the epidemic.
