Chinese navy makes rare foray into West Africa with Nigeria visit

BEIJING, July 3 (Reuters) – A naval fleet of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) led by the destroyer Nanning arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, in a rare visit by the Chinese military to Africa’s Atlantic coast, where Beijing has long made efforts to grow its influence. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria hailed the five-day visit as a milestone in ties, while the Nigerian navy expressed willingness to work with China to tackle maritime security threats and maintain stability in the Gulf of Guinea, the Chinese embassy said in a statement on Monday. Oil-rich West Africa is an important global exporter…