Fruitful 2023 ushers in the promising 2024

How time flies! We are in year 2024. On behalf of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, I would like to extend sincere New Year wishes to friends from all walks of life in our consular area at this wonderful moment! I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you all for great contributions to the development of China-Africa, and China-Nigeria relations!

2023 bears historical significance for the development of China-Africa relations, marking the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal to promote the concept of building a Global Community of Shared Future, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the principles guiding China’s Africa policy, including sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. In the decade of the new era, the development of China-Africa relations has been growing with the “accelerator button” and entered the fast track, stepped into a new era of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

The BRI is a persuasive example of building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. BRI has its roots in China, but the resulting opportunities and results belong to the world. Over the past decade, with connectivity as the main focus, the BRI aims to provide a new platform for international economic cooperation and add fresh impetus to participating countries’ development and world economic growth. It has become a popular global public good and international cooperation platform.

In October, President Xi Jinping announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, providing a clear new direction and new vision for the BRI. In the future, China and Africa will work together to implement the eight major steps, building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, supporting an open world economy, carrying out practical cooperation, promoting green development, advancing scientific and technological innovation, supporting people-to-people exchange, promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation, strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road, making the BRI a “belt of development” and a “road to prosperity” to people of the world.

Over the past decade, under the guidance of China’s principles to Africa policy, proposed by President Xi Jinping, including sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. We work together with our African friends and draw strength from the China-Africa friendship and cooperation. We have pressed ahead on the path to solidarity and cooperation, stood for justice against the shifting global dynamics, and helped each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the joint building of a high-level Belt and Road, we have pushed China-Africa relations to new heights.

Since 2013, China has helped construct more than 6,000 km of railways, 6,000km of roads and 80 large-scale power facilities in Africa. A series of landmark projects keep emerging one after another, such as the Mombasa–Nairobi Railway, Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port and the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chinese enterprises have built more than half of the wireless stations and high-speed mobile broadband networks in Africa, laying more than 200,000 km of optical fiber and serving more than 900 million African people.

China is Africa’s largest trading partner, contributing more than 20% to Africa’s economic growth; by 2022, China-Africa trade reached USD 282 billion, accounting for 20% of Africa’s total foreign trade. China’s FDI stock in Africa exceeds USD 47 billion, 1.8 times the 2013 figure.

China firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths suited to their own conditions, cooperates with African countries in poverty reduction, and promotes the modernisation of African agriculture. China has built more than a dozen of Luban workshops in Africa, vigorously promoting the development and innovation of vocational education in Africa. China has built 25 economic and trade cooperation zones with Nigeria and other African countries to promote industrialisation in Africa. China also supports Africa in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, works for a synergy between the BRI and Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the development strategies of various countries. These efforts bring us into a new phase of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

2023 is a year of in-depth development of China-Nigeria relationship. Nigeria is a pilot country for China-Africa cooperation in building the BRI. In March, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to President Tinubu, expressing his willingness to work with Tinubu to push the China-Nigeria strategic partnership to a new level. In October, Vice President Shettima attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, where President Xi Jinping met him and the two sides reached a series of important achievements on building China-Nigeria relations in the new era and building the “Belt and Road” in high quality.

China and Nigeria have built nice cooperation mechanism, broad cooperation platform, while practical cooperation in various fields are deepening and expanding.

Exciting results have been achieved in economic and trade cooperation. In the first three quarters of 2023, China-Nigeria bilateral trade reached USD 17.25 billion, and China’s imports from Nigeria increased by 22.5 per cent. The opening ceremonies of Lekki Deep Sea Port and the first phase of Lagos Blue Line Light Railway constructed by Chinese enterprises were held successively, and now these projects are promoting the economic and social development in Nigeria.

Sub-national exchanges are growing. Since I took office in May this year, I have visited five states and met seven governors, and I feel Nigeria’s enthusiasm for cooperation with China. In November, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki visited China and built the sister-city ties with Fuzhou City.

Counter-terrorism cooperation has been continuously strengthened. In July this year, the 43rd Chinese naval escort taskforce visited Nigeria. During the visit, anti-piracy, joint search and rescue, and formation sailing drills were carried out with the Nigerian Navy, which enhanced the military exchanges between China and Nigeria.

People-to-people exchanges have been rich and colorful.  The China Film Festival Nigeria was held in Lagos, and brought Chinese and Nigerians closer to each other; the overseas Chinese communities and enterprises such as the Huaxing Art Troupe Nigeria have carried out the charity event called “Renewed Hope, Rebirth from the Light” to help cataract patients, which demonstrated the deep love and affection of the overseas Chinese to Nigerian friends. On October 1st, the two countries celebrated the National Day of China and the Independence Day of Nigeria…people-to-people exchanges played the song of Silk Road for the new era and enhanced the bonds between Chinese and Nigeria people.

2024 will be a crucial year for win-win cooperation between China and Nigeria. China is going to celebrate the 75th National Day and host the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation meeting. I am willing to work with all walks of life in Nigeria to deepen the all-round cooperation with China through economic and trade cooperation, Sub-national communication and cultural exchanges, promoting the China-Nigeria strategic partnership to a new level.
• Yuqing is Chinese Consul General in Lagos.