The West African Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China (WACPPRC) was founded Friday in Lagos.

At the inauguration ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, the WACPPRC in a declaration called on the Chinese people in west African countries and other parts of the world to unite, adhere to the "one China" principle and strongly oppose the "independence of Taiwan" to promote the peaceful reunification of China.

WACPPRC Chairman Cha Jimin addressed the meeting, saying that the establishment of the WACPPRC "is a bridge linking the Chinese people in west Africa and other parts of the world to strengthen friendship between them and further expand exchanges in the fields of economy, trade, sciences and technology and culture."

In his address to the meeting, Wang Changyu, deputy secretary general of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, said the establishment of the WACPPRC "will surely play an important role in enhancing unity and great union among the Chinese people and carry forward the global movement to oppose the 'independence of Taiwan' and promote the peaceful reunification of China."

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigeria-China Friendship Association, the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, the All African Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification and the peaceful reunification councils in many other countries sent greeting messages to the meeting to mark the establishment of the WACPPRC.

In its message of goodwill to the WACPPRC, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said that "Nigeria believes that the pursuit of a policy of peaceful reunification is not only in the best interest of the government and people of China, but also in the interest of world peace, security and development."

More than 200 Chinese people in west African countries and from other parts of the world, including Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Wang Yongqiu and Lagos Consul General Liu Yinghai attended the conference.

In the last three years and more, over 120 peaceful reunification councils have been set up in more than 80 countries around the world. They have so far convened world conferences on

peaceful reunification of China in Berlin, Washington, Panama, Tokyo, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and South Africa.