Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived here on Wednesday for his first state visit to the west African country.

During his stay in Abuja, the Chinese president is expected to meet his Nigerian counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo and exchange views with him on the further development of bilateral relations and major international and regional issues.

Hu is scheduled to deliver a speech in the Nigerian parliament on Sino-African relations and China's policy on Africa.

China and Nigeria established diplomatic ties in 1971 and bilateral trade volume reached 2.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2005.

Nigeria is now China's second largest export market and fourth largest trade partner in Africa.

In April 2005, Obasanjo paid a four-day state visit to China, during which China and Nigeria agreed to establish a strategic partnership characterized by mutual political trust, economic benefit and mutual assistance in international affairs within the framework of South-South cooperation.

President Hu flew into the Nigerian capital from the Moroccan city of Casablanca following his visit to the north African country.

Before that, Hu visited the United States and Saudi Arabia. He will also visit Kenya, the last leg of his current five-nation tour.