China, Africa Forge Shared Path to Modernisation – Yan Yuqing
The Chinese Consul-General in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, has emphasised China and Africa’s shared journey toward modernisation, highlighting 10 partnership actions to address Africa’s challenges and foster development.
These initiatives span areas such as industrialisation, trade, infrastructure, agriculture, green development, and governance.
They aim to enhance Africa’s self-reliance through capacity building, economic integration, and technological advancement.
The efforts align with China’s broader vision of a “community with a shared future” and underscore mutual benefits in modernisation while promoting global equity and sustainable development.
She added that China-Nigeria relations had achieved three outstanding achievements. Yuqing noted also that the positioning of the relationship has achieved a new leap with the two heads of state jointly announcing that China-Nigeria relations have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“A new platform has been established through solidarity and collaboration. The first plenary session of the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee was held successfully, which promoted the upgrading and coordinated progress of China-Nigeria cooperation.
“International cooperation has reached a new height. The two sides coordinate closely on international and regional affairs and work together to promote the collective rise, development and revitalisation of the Global South.”
The consul-general continued, “Mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation paves the path to a promising China-Nigeria future.”
From January to November 2024, China-Nigeria bilateral trade exceeded $19 billion, with imports from Nigeria reaching $2.576 billion, a year-on-year increase of 27 per cent. This marks progress toward a more balanced bilateral trade relationship.
She expressed China’s commitment to advancing high-level opening-up by leveraging its enormous domestic market to attract global resources and production factors while utilising its comprehensive and complete industrial system to encourage competitive industries to go global.
This will amplify the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources and improve the level and quality of trade and investment cooperation.
“We sincerely hope that China and Nigeria will achieve new progress in global industrial chain cooperation, by leveraging their complementary strengths, the two nations can further explore new areas of collaboration, such as clean energy, green minerals, and finance.
Expanding the “comprehensiveness” of China-Nigeria relations will promote coordinated development across various sectors, including trade, agriculture, culture, defense, science and technology, and aerospace.
This multifaceted approach will ensure the steady growth and deepening of the China-Nigeria partnership.
“Renewed Hope Agenda is to build a China-Nigeria Community with a Shared Future hand in hand. Nigeria is “renewing hope” on its development path, playing a crucial role in regional peace and serving as a stabilizing force in Africa. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit achieved significant outcomes, including the implementation of the ten partnership actions. We are ready to strengthen alignment with Nigeria, unlock the potential for collaboration, and expand areas of cooperation to support Nigeria’s accelerated development and revitalization. China appreciates Nigeria’s adherence to the one-China principle and supports Nigeria in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions. We also back Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism, safeguard regional peace and stability, and enhance its influence on the international stage. China-Nigeria relations have transcended the bilateral scope. The two nations must work together to advance their comprehensive strategic partnership and build a all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for new era, setting an example of solidarity and cooperation for the Global South”.
