Nigeria-China bilateral relations will soar to new height as Abuja and four other African countries’ capitals play host to the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi from January 7 to 12.
The other African countries hosting the Chinese Foreign Minister on his first overseas visit in the New Year include Congo, Madagascar, Zambia and United Republic of Tanzania.
Chinese diplomatic sources claimed that Wang’s first trip annually usually takes him to Africa, a practice that has been in existence for over two decades.
For this year, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang explained that the visit is at the behest of the respective countries’ foreign ministers.
Wang’s visit, coming so early in the year, signals high expectations in China-Africa cooperation marching forward and upgrading in an all-round way.
“The main purpose of his visit is to further explore with countries concerned on how to implement the major consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and African leaders as well as the outcomes of the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) against the backdrop of new changes emerging in international political and economic situations and new challenges turning up in African countries”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang, said at a press conference.
Wang has already has his groundwork laid out for him by President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping, in his address at the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of FOCAC.
At that summit, the Chinese leader noted that the last 15 years existence of FOCAC have seen fruitful progress in China-Africa practical cooperation across the board. “Two-way trade and China’s total non-financial investment in Africa in 2014 were 22 times and 60 times that of 2000 respectively, which shows China’s contribution to Africa’s economic development has risen significantly. FOCAC has become a pacesetter in China-Africa cooperation, an example in South- South cooperation, and a champion for greater international attention to and input in Africa.
“What has made China-Africa’s friendship durable and vigorous is that our two sides have always been guided by the principles of treating each other as equals, promoting win-win progress and common development and enhancing friendship and cooperation. China and Africa will forever remain good friends. Good partners and good brothers”, he stressed.
However, not willing to rest on past glories, President XI Jinping equally proposed that the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.
He added that in forging this partnership, China and Africa should remain committed to strengthening the following “five major pillars”: political equality and mutual trust; promoting win-win economic cooperation; mutually enriching cultural exchanges; mutual assistance in security; and solidarity and coordination in international affairs. China and Africa share common position on and interests in a wide range of international issues.
The China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, he proposed, came with 10 cooperation plans with Africa for the next three years.
First, China proposed to actively promote industry partnering and production capacity cooperation between China and Africa and encourage more Chinese enterprises to make business investment in Africa. China also proposed to train 200,000 technical personnel and provide 40,000 training opportunities for African personnel in China.
Second, China equally offered to share its experience in agricultural development with Africa and transfer readily applicable technologies to the continent. In this regard, Chinese enterprises would be encouraged to engage in large-scale farming, animal husbandry and grain storage and processing in Africa to create more local jobs and increase farmers’ income.
Additionally, China pledged to carry out agricultural development projects in 100 African villages to raise rural living standards, send 30 teams of agricultural experts to Africa, and establish a “10+10” cooperation mechanism between Chinese and African agricultural research institutes.
Third, China-Africa infrastructure plan would be implemented, comprising China increasing mutually beneficial cooperation with Africa in infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance. Chinese enterprises’ would also be encouraged to actively participate in Africa’s infrastructural growth, particularly in sectors such as railways, roads, regional aviation, ports, electricity and telecommunications. The Asian giant also promised to support African countries in establishing five transportation universities.
Fourth, China-Africa financial plan will expand its RMB settlement and currency swap operations with African countries, encourage Chinese financial institutions to set up more branches in Africa, and increase its investment and financing cooperation with Africa in multiple ways to provide financial support and services for the continent’s industrialisation and modernisation drive.
Fifth, the China-Africa green development plan would be implemented and comprises China’s support for Africa in bolstering its capacity for green, low-carbon and sustainable development and in launching 100 projects to develop clean energy, protect wildlife, promote environment-friendly agriculture and build smart cities.
Sixth, China-Africa trade and investment facilitation plan would execute China’s 50 aid-for-trade programmes to improve Africa’s capacity, both “software” and “hardware”, for conducting internal and external trade and investment. Additionally, African countries would be supported in enhancing law enforcement capacity in areas such as customs, quality inspection and taxation.
Seventh, China-Africa’s poverty reduction plan would implement 200 “Happy Life” projects and poverty reduction programmes focusing on women and children in the continent. China would cancel outstanding debts in the form of bilateral governmental zero-interest loans borrowed by the relevant least developed African countries that mature at the end of 2015.
Eighth, China-Africa public health plan will help Africa strengthen its public health prevention and control system as well as capacity building by participating in the building of the African Centre for Disease Control. China also promised to support in pacesetting cooperation between 20 Chinese hospitals and 20 African hospitals through upgrading hospital departments. The Asian country assured African leaders that it would continue to send medical teams to the continent and provide medical assistance such as the “Brightness Action” programme for cataract patients and maternal and child care.
Ninth, China-Africa cultural and people-to-people plan would lead to China building five cultural centres in Africa and providing satellite TV reception to 10,000 African villages. China also promised to provide to Africa 2,000 educational opportunities with diplomas or degrees and 30,000 government scholarships. Annually, the Asian country will sponsor visas for 200 African scholars and study trips by 500 young Africans to China as well as train 1,000 media professionals from Africa.
Tenth, in the China-Africa peace and security plan, the Asian giant will provide US$60 million of grant to support the building and operation of the African Standby Force and the African Capacity for the Immediate Response to Crisis. China also promised support for Africa’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and African countries’ capacity building in areas such as defence, counter-terrorism, riot prevention, customs and immigration control.
“To ensure the successful implementation of these 10 cooperation plans, China decides to provide a total of $60 billion of funding support. It includes $S billion of grant and zero-interest loans; $35 billion of loans of concessional nature on more favourable terms and export credit line; an increase of $5 billion to the China-Africa Development Fund and the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs respectively; and the China-Africa Fund for Production Capacity Cooperation with an initial contribution of $10 billion”, President Xi Jinping affirmed.
The Chinese leader’s words began to yield early fruits the following year, 2016 – being the inaugural year of China-Africa cooperation in the new age. The significant early harvests include the entry into operation of a new railway in Ethiopia linking Addis Ababa to the city of Djibouti. Equally, significant was the progress in building Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya, and several industrial parks and special economic zones being planned.
The same year, from last January to September, China’s non-financial direct investment to Africa registered a year-on-year 31per cent increase. Between the end of the Johannesburg Summit and the end of last July, 245 cooperation agreements worth more than $50 billion covering various fields were signed between the two sides.
Other outcomes from the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit include the coming into operation of the China-Africa Fund for Production Capacity Cooperation with an initial contribution of $10 billion.
Specifically for Nigeria, China has provided concessionary loans to fund the Abuja-Kaduna Railway; Abuja Light Rail and Lagos Mass Transit System.
In 2016, the Asian giant offered 268 Nigerians training opportunities and more than 120 scholarships. For 2016-2018, 700 Chinese government scholarships and 1,000 training opportunities has been proposed.
During President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the Asian country last year, the Chinese government pledged RMB 100 million assistance gratis for Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Centre and Solar Traffic Lights for Abuja (Phase 2).
On promoting province-state government exchanges and production capacity cooperation, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Zhou Pingjian since presentation of his credentials to President Buhari has visited Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and several ministers, including Ministers of foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Finance, Budget and National Planning.
Ambassador Pingjian has also called on Minister of Commerce, Interior, Inspector-General of Police and Comptroller-General of Immigration. He has visited Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos and Ogun states.
Nigeria and China have also signed several agreements and Memorandum of Understandings, MOU, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, some include: Framework agreement between National Reform Commission of the Peoples Republic of China and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for developing industrialisation infrastructure, production capacity and investment; agreement between the governments of the two countries on economic and technical cooperation, with China providing assistance gratis.
China and Nigeria’s Ministry of Transportation have also signed a MoU on scientific and technological cooperation. Another MoU between the Asian country and Nigeria’s Ministry of Commerce on aviation cooperation is also in place.
There also exists a mandate letter on China cooperation and RMB transaction between Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN).
In the private sector, China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation and Dangote Industries Limited have also entered into production capacity cooperation agreement.
Definitely, these and other matters arising would fully keep Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his African counterparts fully occupied during his visit.
•Ndubueze writes from Abuja.