…As Ike appeals for more cultural exchange opportunities for journalists.
By Helen Udo, Abuja -NIGERIA.
The 7th Nigeria–China Friendship Table Tennis Tournament, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council in partnership with the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, will take place on the 15th of November 2025.
The announcement was made when the NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike and her executive members paid a courtesy visit to the China Cultural Centre in Abuja. They were warmly received by Mr Yang Jianxing, Director of the Centre and Cultural Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, along with other senior staff.
Comrade Ike expressed her gratitude for the longstanding partnership between the NUJ FCT and the China Cultural Centre. She emphasised the importance of further cultural exchange and called for more opportunities for both countries to promote bilateral relations for national development.
She said, “We’re here to show appreciation for your continued support and to further strengthen our collaboration. Over the years, we’ve shared so much in terms of cultural exchange programmes, training opportunities, and the annual table tennis tournament.”
Ike also highlighted the participation of the China Cultural Centre in other NUJ FCT events, such as football tournaments, and expressed the council’s hope that this active partnership would continue.
She used the visit to formally invite Mr Yang and his team to the upcoming NUJ FCT Press Week, scheduled to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Tuesday, 22 July 2025. “We’d be honoured to have you there as one of our key partners,” she said.
Ike appealed for more opportunities to be created for cultural exchanges between China cultural center and the NUJ FCT.
In his response, Mr Yang Jianxing welcomed the NUJ FCT delegation and thanked them for the visit. He gave a brief overview of the China Cultural Centre, which was established in 2013 and includes facilities such as a multipurpose hall, library, and Mandarin language classes.
Mr Yang shared that the Centre hosts various China–Nigeria cultural events every year. These include the Spring Festival, International Women’s Day, China Tea Day, and the upcoming China–Nigeria Cultural Festival, which will be held in collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy.
He also spoke about upcoming performances later this year, featuring Chinese traditional music, dance, Kung Fu, and magic shows. He disclosed that the 7th Table Tennis Tournament would go ahead as planned in November and expressed hope for strong NUJ FCT participation and support, as seen in previous years.
On the request for training opportunities in China, Mr Yang assured the NUJ FCT that efforts would be made to secure at least one or two spots for their members. “I will do my best to speak with the Embassy and see what can be arranged,” he said.
He described Nigeria and China as “brothers and family,” highlighting the strong and mutually beneficial ties between the two nations. Mr Yang also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in promoting understanding between the two cultures. “Through your work, people in China learn more about Nigeria, and vice versa,” he said.
