Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2006. Olusegun Obasanjo is in Beijing for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled for Nov. 4-5.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

China has decided to endorse Nigeria with the tourist destination status to expand personnel exchanges and cultural and education cooperation, Chinese President Hu Jintao told visiting Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Beijing Friday.

This has raised the number of tourism destination countries for Chinese tourists in Africa to at least 12, including Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Tunis, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Zambia, Namibia, Seychelles, Rwanda, Nigeria and Cameroon.

In his meeting with Obasanjo, who is here for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for Nov. 4-5, Hu said the two countries should strengthen cooperation in fields of infrastructure, communication and energy.

Hu said the two countries should also strengthen political mutual trust and strategic cooperation.

According to Hu, a number of joint projects, including satellite launching, construction of a friendship and cultural center, and prevention of malaria and bird flu, are going on smoothly.

Obasanjo said the economic and trade cooperation with China has helped promote the economic and social development of Nigeria and other African nations. Nigeria hopes to expand cooperation with China in some key areas to achieve common development.

China and Nigeria established diplomatic relations on Feb. 10, 1971. Obasanjo visited China in 2005, the year when bilateral trade topped 2.83 billion U.S. dollars.