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‘Nigeria, China socio-economic relations must be sustained’

The Executive Director of Grace Schools Lagos, Mrs Olatokunbo Edun has reiterated the need to ensure sustainability of the cultural exchange between China and Nigeria.

Edun, who spoke at the China’s National Day Celebration organised by the Confucius Institute, University of Lagos, stated that the there are enormous benefits to be derived by both countries.

Edun said the promotion of Chinese language and culture has exposed Nigerian students to deepen their knowledge on a global scale.

The educationist, who was a special guest at the occasion, added that Grace Schools have been in the forefront of teaching chines language and promoting it culture in Nigeria .

The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Yan Yuqing said the cooperation between China and Nigeria has yielded several benefits for both countries.

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Yuqing said China is determined to foster it’s international cooperation with Nigeria through cultural exchange and other areas.

She asserted that the Belt and Road Initiative of the Chinese government was developed to connect with countries around the globe The initiative according to her has deepened China’s economic and social relations with Nigeria and other countries.

She lauded the Confucius institute established at the University of Lagos to promote Chinese language and culture. She lauded the initiative as deepening the relationship between China and Nigeria.

The Chinese Director of the Confucius institute, Prof. Zhao Hongling said China and Nigeria have profound friendship and In-depth relationship.

He said the Confucius Institute has been a veritable avenue to promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics/Research University of Lagos, Professor Bola Omo stated that the University is poised to collaborate more with the Confucius institute to promote Chinese language and culture.

October 31, 2023
BRI: Blueprint for China-Nigeria cooperation
- By Cui Jianchun
From October 17 to 18, the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation was held in Beijing, China, featuring the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a keynote speech. President Xi noted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) injects new impetus into the global economy, creates new opportunities for global development, and builds a new platform for international economic cooperation. Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America, with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations signing Belt and Road cooperation documents. We have held two sessions of the BRF before, and have established over 20 specialized multilateral cooperation platforms under the BRI.

Furthermore, President Xi announced eight major steps China will take to support joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as follows: 1) Building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network. 2) Supporting an open world economy. 3) Carrying out practical cooperation. 4) Promoting green development. 5) Advancing scientific and technological innovation. 6) Supporting people-to-people exchanges. 7) Promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation. 8) Strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI proposed by President Xi. Over the past decade, thanks to the combined efforts of all parties, cooperation under the BRI framework has expanded beyond the borders of China to become an international effort. It has evolved from ideas into actions, from a vision into reality, and from a general framework into concrete projects. Under the BRI, more than 3,000 cooperation projects were constructed, nearly US$1 trillion in investments were generated and 40 million people were lifted out of poverty. The Belt and Road cooperation has made historic achievements and has benefited more than 150 countries, opening up a road of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity leading to common development. The BRI has become the most popular international public good and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today.

As an important event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the BRI, the third BRF constitutes another important milestone in the process of jointly building the Belt and Road. The attendance of 151 countries, 41 international organizations and more than 10,000 delegates at the forum shows the appeal and global influence of the China-proposed initiative. And the forum is considered to be a “complete success” by all sides, with a total of 458 outcomes achieved, far more than the second BRF.

Read Also: Xi Jinping, China’s eternal president

Nigeria is always a strong partner of BRI. From October 15 to 20, vice president, Kashim Shettima, attended the third BRF representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his counterpart, Chinese vice president, Han Zheng.

During his meeting with President Xi, President Xi pointed out that there have been many highlights in the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Nigeria. Many cooperation projects including railways, ports, power stations and communications backbone networks have been completed in succession, and remarkable achievements have been made in the development of free trade areas. China is ready to continue working with Nigeria to push for more tangible outcomes of China-Nigeria and China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation and help Nigeria and Africa realize industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. China stands ready to enhance personnel exchanges at all levels with Nigeria to advance high-quality practical cooperation.

Vice President Shettima congratulated China on successfully hosting the third BRF. He noted that Nigeria and China are good friends who have shared weal and woe and supported each other in times of difficulties. China has always treated Nigeria and other African countries with respect and as equals; it has never bossed them around, and has done its best to support the African people in seeking independence and development. He thanked China for proposing a series of important global cooperation initiatives for developing countries, providing valuable assistance for Nigeria’s development and boosting the industrialization process of Nigeria and Africa at large. He stressed that Nigeria is ready to further deepen Belt and Road cooperation with China and lift Nigeria-China relations to a new level.

Vice President Shettima also addressed the High-Level Forum on Digital Economy of the forum, adding that Nigeria is keen on using the instrumentality of the existing robust Nigeria-China bilateral relations to maximally key into projects under the platform of the Digital Silk Road for the improvement of Nigerian digital space.

During his stay in Beijing, Vice President Shettima witnessed the signing of MOU between the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and three Chinese partners for new projects valued at $2 billion, as well as letters of intent between the Chinese and Nigerian partners for new projects and investments worth $4 billion. Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Works also signed an MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport contract at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

It goes without saying that the achievements of Vice President Shettima’s visit to China are remarkable.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971 and strategic partnership in 2005, the all-round, wide-range and high-quality bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria has been a pace-setter for China-Africa cooperation. In 2018, Nigeria signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China. From then on, with the joint efforts of both sides, Nigeria has become China’s biggest contractor market, second largest trading partner and major investment destination in Africa. Major projects such as Lekki Deep Sea Port, Zungeru Hydroelectric project, Lagos-Ibadan train route, Abuja-Kaduna rail line, Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi road dualisation, as well as several airport terminals, undertaken by Chinese enterprises, have been completed or progressing smoothly.

It has been more than two and a half years since I was appointed as Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria in March 2021. This is a country beloved by me, with splendid ancient culture, peace-loving and hardworking people, and immeasurable development potentials. To promote all-round cooperation between China and Nigeria, I have put forward 5GIST Nigeria-China GDP (Growth, Development, Progress) Strategy, “Share Chinese Harmony, Perform Nigeria-China Symphony” Initiative and a new model of cooperation named PEG (Party-Enterprise-Government). They were all warmly welcomed by Nigerian friends at various levels.

President Xi said, humankind is a community with a shared future. As President Tinubu proposed “Renewed Hope” Initiative, I am willing to build the “Renewed Tie: Thought/Investment/Endeavour” between our two governments, enterprises and people, to sow “Renewed Seed: Security/ Education/Economy/Dedication”, and to fulfil the “Renewed GDP: Growth/Development/Progress”, so as to further promote our cooperation. It is my strong belief that, building upon the great success of Vice President Shettima’s visit to China and by working together more closely, Nigeria and China would build an even stronger community with a shared future, and will bring more tangible benefits to the two great peoples.
- H.E. Cui Jianchun is Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria.
October 27, 2023
Nigeria, China sign MoU for projects worth $2billion

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), on Thursday, October 19, signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with three Chinese partners for new projects valued at $2 billion.

The event which happened on the sidelines of the ongoing 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was witnessed by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, China.

In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, the federal government also received letters of intent for new projects and investments worth $4 billion from more Chinese companies.

Similarly, Nigeria’s Ministry of Works also signed a MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport contract at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, witnessed the event, which also had the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Power, Works and other top government officials present.

Speaking to Journalists soon after the signing ceremony Vice President Shettima commended all stakeholders and their Chinese counterparts saying Nigeria has never been this ripe and ready for businesses to thrive.

He said with the meticulous efforts by the President Tinubu administration to ensure a level playing ground for all investors following the removal of all bottlenecks, the coast is now clear for deepened economic and trade collaborations.

Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, said the manifestation of the agreements was a fulfilment of NASENI’s commitments towards boosting the Foreign Direct Investment drive of the Bola Tinubu administration.

Halilu said: “This is a very important day for us at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure because it is a day to show the results of some of the work that we have been doing in the last six weeks since I assumed the leadership of NASENI.”

The MOUs to partner with NASENI for investments in Nigeria were listed as follows:

I Shanghai Launch Automotive Technical Co Ltd – MoU to establish a new energy automobile facility for the production of new energy electric vehicles.

II China Great Wall Industry Corporation – MoU for the turnkey delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) assembly line projects.

III Newway Power Technology Company Ltd –MoU for the transfer of technology on lithium batteries, electric vehicles and allied technologies

The Chinese firms that presented Letters of Intent to the Vice President to pull together Four billion US Dollars in investments are TBEA (solar products); DongFeng Vehicles Co. (vehicle design and production) and HiLong Energy (CNG, LNG, methanol)

Read Also: REA to developers: don’t abandon projects after signing MOU

Others are Space Star Technology (Drone technology transfer); ENRIC (clean energy utilization technology); and Hidier Group (development of new industrial park), China State Construction Company (building technology and materials); CIMC (natural gas infrastructure delivery); Value Platform International Services Ltd (vocational training) and Acadia Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. (smart grids and microgrids).

During the signing of the MoU on the construction of the Deep Blue Sea Port at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi said the massive project was yet another indication that Nigeria still remains an industrial haven for many investors.

Another segment of the event was the meeting of the Vice President with several communications, tech, railway, power and construction giants based in China.

They include the China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC), HUAWEI Technologies, Senteng International Company Nigeria Limited, China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd.

October 19, 2023
‘China Commodities Expo to raise trade with Nigeria’

To improve the trade relationship between Nigeria and China, Brightway International Exhibition, the organiser of China Commodities Expo (CCE) has announced the date for the commencement of an exhibition ,which would showcase the best of Chinese manufacturers and fostering international trade collaborations in Lagos.

The exhibition will hold from November 7 to 10 at the Landmark Event Center, Victoria Island Lagos.

The 2023 CCE exhibition is organised with the support of the Ministry of Commerce-China, the Government of Shandong Province, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, the Federal Government , and the Lagos State Government.

“The exhibition features a wide range of products from different sectors, including agriculture equipment, industrial machinery, building materials, power and renewable energy products, household products, electrical and electronics, beauty and fashion, medical equipment, cutting-edge technologies, and more, which attracts a diverse audience from ECOWAS countries,” said Muheez Abiodun, Chief Representative Officer of Brightway International Exhibition.

The range of showcased products offers a unique opportunity for attendees to explore the vast array of Chinese commodities and engage in fruitful business collaborations.

To ensure a seamless experience for participants, CCE offers free entry to the exhibition, allowing visitors to access an abundance of business opportunities. In addition, complimentary Wi-Fi services and a well-equipped B2B meeting room are provided to facilitate efficient and productive discussions.

For added convenience, free shuttle buses will be available at selected locations, transporting attendees to and from the venue. CCE also extends its support to importers interested in visiting China for business purposes by providing comprehensive visa information and assistance.

The China Commodities Exhibition has been held annually since 2007 and serves as a platform for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation and exchanges. By fostering partnerships and promoting international trade, CCE contributes significantly to the development of the global business landscape.

The significance of the China Commodities Expo – Nigeria, for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, is multifaceted. It helps boost trade among both countries and further strengthens the bilateral trade relationship between China and Africa at large. The exhibition also facilitates information sharing on investment opportunities that abound in both countries and increases foreign direct investment into both economies. Furthermore, it offers technology transfer for developmental purposes.

The exhibition represents various sectors, including automobile, motorcycle and spare parts, machine tools, food processing and packaging machines, fashion, textiles, and beauty products, constructions and building materials/equipment, agricultural machinery, electrical and electronic products, medical equipment, home appliances, household items, power and renewable energy products, as well as other cutting-edge technologies.

Read Also: Nigeria to support China towards ensuring sustainable digital economy – Shettima

The China Commodities Expo targets a diverse audience, Including importers and exporters, captains of industries, government officials from Nigeria and the African continent, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, employers, employees, and tertiary institution graduates.

The event provides numerous opportunities for business growth and networking, enabling participants to expand their business networks, forge connections with leading Chinese manufacturers, find new suppliers, and explore venture capitalist support for business ideas and solutions. It is an opportunity to diversify businesses, increase foreign direct investment, and improve individual standards of living, thus reducing poverty and promoting economic growth and development for both nations.

In conclusion, the China Commodities Expo plays a significant role in promoting and enhancing China-Africa relations, particularly in the context of economic and trade collaborations. It strengthens the bilateral trade relationship between China and Nigeria, increases foreign direct investment, and creates employment and job opportunities for the youth in both countries.

By providing a platform to assess investment and developmental potentials, it contributes to building and strengthening the existing mutually beneficial bilateral relationship between China and Nigeria.

The exhibition’s impact extends beyond trade and economic cooperation, as it fosters technology transfer, reduces poverty, and improves the standards of living for individuals in both nations.

October 19, 2023
Why Nigeria, China relations needs scaling up, by Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday called for the strengthening of the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China.

He said cordial relations between the two countries will foster Africa’s development.

The vice president said President Bola Tinubu attached much value to mutual cooperation between China and Nigeria, stressing that it is consistent with the administration’s foreign policy of boosting investment confidence.

Shettima, who is representing President Tinubu at the ongoing Belt And Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, said the President has given impetus to the policy by enhancing the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

He is being hosted by his People’s Republic of China counterpart, Vice President Han Zheng, at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, Beijing.

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According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima noted that Nigeria and China, having celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, in 2021, must now take their destinies into their own hands.

Noting that an economically stable Nigeria is a blessing to Africa, the vice President said: “Our mutually beneficial relationship will be further enhanced and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.”

He added: “Nigeria is China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa; it is the largest economy in Africa and the most populous country in the African continent. The Belt and Road Initiative is a big beautiful concept that can be deployed to achieve this”.

Shettima drew attention to the burgeoning relationship between Nigeria and China, emphasising that both countries stood to gain mutually from their friendship.

Vice President Zheng assured Shettima of partnership with Nigeria, hinting that President Jinping’s meeting with VP Shettima would enhance mutual trust, practical cooperation and better bilateral relation between the two countries.

Vice President Shettima was later a guest at the State Banquet hosted by President Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan.

At the Belt and Road Initiative Forum, VP Shettima is expected to deliver a paper titled: “Digital Economy As A New Source Of Growth”.

A bilateral meeting with the Chinese President and Prime Minister of Pakistan is also on the VP’s itinerary.

Shettima and other members of the delegation will be presiding over meetings with management of top construction, technology, finance and communication giants in China.

October 18, 2023
40ft container crushes China-bound Aba-based businessman to death

A businessman identified as Akuma Kalu, has reportedly been crushed to death when a 40ft container fell on his car in Etche local government area of Rivers state.

Kalu, who was running around for his Visa to the Republic of China, reportedly died on his way to the Port Harcourt International Airport to board a flight.

His vehicle, a Lexus SUV was said to have been stuck at a bad portion of the Etche-Ngo Okpala road when the container fell off a truck and crushed him

Late Kalu hailed from Abariba in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.

He was an importer and resident of Umuogele, Ovom in the Obingwa local government area of the state.

He was said to be a member of the Umuogele Landlords’ Association before his death.

Family members have taken to Facebook to mourn the late businessman.

His elder brother, Uchendu Kalu Mang in a post on his Facebook handle, revealed that they lost their father almost six years ago.

He wrote: “Dad today marks 5 years and 10 months you left me in this lonely wicked world, Death have (sic) strike and take away you (sic) last born Akuma.

“Death what have I done to you. Dad I will always be your son. Rest on Ezinna m, rest on Nwoke udo, rest on my one and only father, rest in peace little bro, rest in peace Dimkpa, rest in peace Odogwu.

“Too hard to believe you have gone little bro. Death 6 years ago you took away my father now you have take my younger brother Akuma Kalu Mang. What have we done to you. My heart is bleeding,”

A kinsman who preferred anonymity in a telephone interview with our correspondent confirmed the death of Akuma, father of one.

The source disclosed that his shop is located at Jubilee Road, within the Aba metropolis, but a resident at the Ogbor Hill axis of the city disclosed that the deceased was going to Port Harcourt to board a flight he had already booked for his trip to Abuja.

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The source stated that the deceased’s plan was to drop his car at the Port Harcourt Airport, where he was to board a plane to Abuja to tidy up his visa ahead of his planned trip to China.

He said: “He was an importer. He visits China regularly for his business. But from what we were told, he was to travel to China for his business.

“He was on his way to Port Harcourt from where he will be going to Abuja to tidy up his Visa.

“His plan was to travel to leave his car at the airport in Port Harcourt and to use the same while coming back to Aba from Abuja.

“He was to travel to China for his business before this ugly incident happened. It has been a gloomy atmosphere in the family since the sad news broke.”

October 17, 2023
How China achieved a technological revolution
- By Ayman Omar
China‘s gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 360.86 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 to 1.21 trillion dollars in 2000 until it reached 17.96 trillion dollars in 2022. The size of the Chinese economy has grown by about 49 times since 1990 and about 15 times since 2000, and it is the second-largest global economy after the United States.

China’s remarkable advancement in the technology sector contributed to its economic growth. A report by Harvard University released in 2022 noted China’s technological progress in several vital fields, such as artificial intelligence, electronic chips, quantum computing, biotechnology, wireless information science and green energy.

This technological boom had few parallels in countries worldwide in recent decades, akin to the First Industrial Revolution and its significant changes in various aspects of social, economic, political and cultural life. Indeed, the technological revolution that China is currently undertaking is a prelude to the fourth industrial revolution. This tremendous and rapid technological development can provide a role model not only for developing countries but also for developed countries. Many lessons can be learned from this rapid technological boom in China.

First, it invested in scientific research. China has allocated substantial financial resources to support innovation, inventions and technology development, especially in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and others. China has significantly increased spending on research and development over the years, with its total expenditure on research and development (R&D) exceeding 3 trillion yuan (about 418.2 billion dollars) in 2022, up 10.1 percent year on year, constituting 2.54 percent of its GDP.

Second, it invested in digital infrastructure. Advanced technology needs infrastructure and a digital economy to attract investments and progress in technological development.

Third, China changed the structure of its economy. The country entered the world of technology and built an advanced digital economy, which quickly paved the way for it to reach global leadership in advanced technology. From 2016 to 2022, the scale of China’s digital economy increased by 4.1 trillion dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of 14.2 percent. China’s digital economy amounted to 7.1 trillion dollars in 2021, ranking second after the United States.

Read Also: China-Africa cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative

Fourth, it encouraged startups and pioneered innovation. China created an entrepreneurial environment that encouraged innovation and inventions, leading to the emergence of many startups in advanced technology. China ranked second globally with 301 unicorn companies, or startups valued at more than 1 billion dollars in 2021, with 74 new companies added from the previous year.

Fifth, China enhanced economic growth and increased GDP through advanced technology. China has used advanced technology in manufacturing and increased its reliance on e-commerce, which has improved economic growth, increased GDP and created new job opportunities.

Sixth, it invested in green energy technology. China invested in green energy to avoid environmental problems such as global warming, acid rain and environmental pollution to achieve sustainable development and address environmental challenges.

Seventh, China boosted technological security. It expanded technology security by developing cybersecurity strategies and protecting critical and sensitive information.

Eighth, it established many research laboratories. The East Asian country created laboratories in artificial intelligence, information technology, space technology and biotechnology. One of these laboratories is the Baidu Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, considered one of the world’s most important and largest artificial intelligence laboratories.

China’s unique experience has led to its advanced position in several high-tech fields. This will boost economic growth and improve living standards, establishing it as a global center of technological expertise.
October 15, 2023
China-Africa cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative
- By Charles Onunaiju
From October 17 – 18, about 53 African countries along, with more than 100 countries from other parts of the world and 30 international organizations will converge in Beijing, the Chinese capital for the third forum of the Belt and Road International Cooperation. The third international forum of the Belt and Road (BRI) will mark the 10 years’ anniversary since the initiative was outlined by the Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping in speeches at Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013.

The Belt and Road Initiative underwrites in practical terms the historical turning point of the contemporary global community where the imperatives of communication and cooperation among peoples and nations are the defining trends of the time. To give concrete effect to this contemporary trend, the BRI set out to procure and provide the practical means to drive communications and cooperation among nations and peoples. While the Chinese wisdom systemized this process and identified the concrete and effective mechanism to actualize the means, the trend of broad cooperation and communication was nonetheless, the objective trajectories of mankind’s evolving historical process.

Therefore, any meaningful and utilitarian development of the BRI as the concrete expression of the emerging trend must proceed from a global ownership of the process through “extensive consultations, joint contributions and shared benefits; which happens to be the defining creed of the Belt and Road framework of international cooperation. The Belt and Road mechanism is characteristic of five interlocking essentials – policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial cooperation and people to people bonds. While these five policy pillars have universal applications and derive from the existential reality of globalization, it clearly mirrors Africa’s substantive dispositions to integrate into the mainstream of the globalization process and access both its benefits and also contribute to enriching the process.

The Belt and Road Initiative is the concentrated expression of globalization in its broadest sense of accommodation, inclusion and participation and carries Africa’s fervent historic wish and will. And in the past 10 years, since the Belt and Road process hit the ground running, Africa has witnessed the most impactful revolution in infrastructure construction and facilities connectivity. Sea and Airports construction and rehabilitation, modern railways overland, road and bridge construction, power plants, industrial and special economic zones, stadia, water treatment systems, hospitals and schools through China-Africa cooperation hugely enhanced by the Belt and Road mechanism are common features in the continent.

The original framework of Africa integration through infrastructure connectivity and coordination of industrial clusters articulated at the historic meeting of the African heads of state and government in Lagos in 1980 and the historic document it produced in the “Lagos plan of action” which was openly vilified by western dominated financial institutions, take a life of its own as an idea, whose time has come and is now powered by China-Africa cooperation and energized by the Belt and Road mechanism..

In West Africa, through the engagement of the Belt and Road process, key infrastructure projects spanning highways, ports, energy infrastructure are remarkably taking shape.

In Nigeria, Lekki deep sea port, that would serve as maritime logistics hub in the sub region is up and running and is expected to cut by significant margin the time and cost of doing business. Ghana’s first gas processing plant and its associated gas pipelines has been completed through the Belt and Road partnership where China offered by financial and technical contributions. The gas plant would ensure effective utilization of natural gas for improving and expanding Ghana’s economic activities.

On highway infrastructure within the sub region, the Belt and Road partnership plays critical and pivotal roles. For instance, the upgrade of 1,228km existing railway between Bamako in Mali and Dakar in Senegal at the cost of $2.2 billion is underway and China has played vital role in financing the railway upgrade through a $1.24 billion loan with Senegal, payable at 2% annually in 30 years and $1.49 billion agreement between China railway construction corporation and Mali.

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The project will increase trade through transportation of goods and form an important new link between the two countries and facilitate Mali’s access to the sea, which benefits Mali’s gold mining sector. Also, through collaboration with China under the Belt and Road partnership, the 4,500km trans-Sahelian highway no 5 (TAH5) has been completed. The lines run from Dakar in Senegal to N’djamena, Chad. TAH5 is part of trans-African highway, which is a 60,000km network of nine highways crisscrossing the continent as envisioned by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in 1971. In addition to providing an alternative seamless route from Senegal to Chad, the highway’s will allow countries on the route of TAH5 to tap into the markets in West and Central Africa, thereby promoting effective regional trade and integration, a key enduring feature of pan Africanism. Historically, Africa has consistently put on notice that its path to prosperity would be paved through trade and industrialization and not aid and humanitarian sympathies. The Belt and Road mechanism has given concrete expression to the abiding vision of African countries to boost trade investment and industry. At the 2018 summit of the heads of states and government of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping proposed a permanent trade mechanism to drive the access of African products to the Chinese huge market.

The China–Africa economic and trade expo was established with a permanent site at a central Chinese province of Hunan and holds every two years. China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for the past 14 years in a straight row and currently Africa’s agricultural products enjoy significant concessional access to huge Chinese market. In a report by the Atlantic council, a US think tank released in March with the title “China in Sub Saharan Africa: Reaching Beyond natural resources”, it noted that “over the past two decades, China has emerged as the leading trading partner with and investor in the region as the US and the EU have seen their share in sub Saharan Africa trade and investment dwindle. In short, China has become a main source of development finance, technical assistance and even loans for the region presenting itself as a viable alternative to the World Bank group and the IMF in the region.

In the White Paper published by the state council information office of the PRC, just a week before the 3rd BRI in Beijing, it observed that “the BRI is a long term, transnational and systematic global project of the 21st century. It has succeeded in taking its first step on a long journey and continuing from this new starting point, the BRI will demonstrate greater creativity and vitality, become more open and inclusive and generate new opportunities for both China and the rest of the world”.

As African leaders converge in Beijing with other world leaders for the 3rd BRI forum, it should look beyond the glamour of summitries, digest and dissect the intricate layers of BRI, contribute to enriching the mechanism and engage in policy coordination and alignment that delivers value to Africa’s existential requirement of economic recovery and growth.
- Onunaiju is research director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja.
October 12, 2023
Five ways China seeks to manipulate global information environment, by U.S.

The United States has released a fact sheet on five ways the People’s Republic of China plans to reshape the global information environment.
The report released on Thursday said China seeks to shape the information order to its advantage.
“Beijing has invested billions of dollars to construct a global information ecosystem that promotes its propaganda and facilitates censorship and the spread of disinformation. While formidable, the PRC’s efforts have faced setbacks in democratic countries, due in large part to resistance from local media and civil society,” it said.
The report identified the five ways as leveraging propaganda and censorship, promoting digital authoritarianism, exploiting international organisations and bilateral partnerships, pairing co-optation and pressure, and exercising control over Chinese-language media.
“These five elements enable Beijing to bend the global information environment to its advantage. If successful, the PRC’s efforts could transform the global information landscape, creating biases and gaps that lead nations to make decisions that subordinate their economic and security interests to Beijing’s,” it said.
The report went on: “China Central Television, a state outlet, provides free video footage and television scripts to 1,700 foreign news organizations and media groups. In many cases, content produced by PRC official media is repackaged for local outlets without branding that would identify it as coming from a foreign government.
“To work around Thai laws limiting foreign media ownership, one of the PRC’s leading technology companies created a local subsidiary run by Thai nationals to purchase Thailand’s most popular news site with 30 million active monthly users.
The PRC has become a leading provider of digital television services in Africa through StarTimes. By controlling cable TV service providers, the PRC gains the power to determine which stations viewers can access by excluding Western news channels from basic packages.
“As of 2021, almost 100 influencers disseminated official PRC messaging in at least two dozen languages on multiple social media platforms to a combined audience of over 11 million followers in dozens of countries.
The PRC is constraining global freedom of expression “Over 1,000 pro-PRC accounts sought to bury a report by the Spain-based nongovernmental organization Safeguard Defenders detailing the presence and activities of 100 “overseas police service stations” in 53 countries linked to local PRC public security authorities across multiple jurisdictions.

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In September 2021, Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre reported that phones manufactured by PRC corporation Xiaomi had a default capability to censor a list of at least 449 phrases. This “feature” was inactive in phones shipped to Europe according to the Lithuanian report but could be activated remotely.
“Beijing uses WeChat and WeiXin – applications popular among Chinese speakers globally and within the PRC – to censor overseas discussions. Communications between registered WeChat users outside the PRC feed through “pervasive” surveillance that directly improves the PRC’s domestic censorship capabilities by teaching WeiXin to recognize sensitive content more quickly.
In September 2019, Huawei’s French subsidiary filed a defamation suit, which it ultimately withdrew in July 2022, against a French researcher and the talk show that hosted her after she said that Huawei was “under the control of the State and the [CCP]” due to the presence of a CCP committee within the company.
The PRC is promoting an emerging community of digital authoritarians
“The PRC exports digital ecosystems like “smart” or “safe” cities to assist in surveillance. As of June 2021, 163 global smart city-public security projects involved PRC firms that have operations in Xinjiang.
As of 2019, PRC information controls had spread to 102 countries. In 11 of these countries, the deepest diffusion of PRC information control tactics resulted in imitation, or outright replication, of PRC information control laws and techniques.
With assistance from Beijing, foreign governments have used Huawei systems worth hundreds of millions of dollars to support police work and even to intercept the electronic communications and cellular location data of domestic political opposition members.
“In November 2021, at least 18 countries used Huawei-manufactured middleboxes, which facilitate and inspect internet traffic on some online networks, to block access to certain sites.
TikTok’s owner ByteDance seeks to block potential critics of Beijing, possibly including those outside the PRC, from using its platforms. As of late 2020, ByteDance maintained a regularly updated internal list identifying people who were likely blocked or restricted from all ByteDance platforms, including TikTok.”

September 29, 2023
Why China poses longterm challenge for international order, by Blinken

United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has said China poses longterm challenge for international order.

Blinken, who spoke at the Johns Hopkins University, linked this to the People’s Republic of China’s aspiration to reshape the international order.

He added that China has the economic, the diplomatic, the military and the technological power to achieve this.

The end of the Cold War, Blinken said, brought with it the promise of an inexorable march toward greater peace and stability, international cooperation, economic interdependence, political liberalisation, and human rights.

He said: “Meanwhile, the People’s Republic of China poses the most significant long-term challenge because it not only aspires to reshape the international order, it increasingly has the economic, the diplomatic, the military, the technological power to do just that. And Beijing and Moscow are working together to make the world safe for autocracy.”

He said as this competition ramps up, many countries are hedging their bets.

“The influence of non-state actors is growing – from corporations whose resources rival those of national governments; to NGOs providing services to hundreds of millions of people; to terrorists with the capacity to inflict catastrophic harm; to transnational criminal organizations trafficking illicit drugs, weapons, human beings.

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“Forging international cooperation has gotten more complex. Not only because of rising geopolitical tensions, but also because of the mammoth scale of global problems like the climate crisis, food insecurity, mass migration and displacement.

“Countries and citizens are losing faith in the international economic order, their confidence rattled by systemic flaws,” he said.

He accused some governments of using rule-shattering subsidies, stolen IP, and other market-distorting practices to gain an unfair advantage in key sectors.

“Technology and globalisation that hollowed out and displaced entire industries, and policies that failed to do enough to help out the workers and communities that were left behind.

“And inequality that has skyrocketed. Between 1980 and 2020, the richest .1 percent accumulated the same wealth as the poorest 50 percent.

“The longer these disparities persist, the more distrust and disillusionment they fuel in people who feel the system is not giving them a fair shake. And the more they exacerbate other drivers of political polarization, amplified by algorithms that reinforce our biases rather than allowing the best ideas to rise to the top.

“More democracies are under threat. Challenged from the inside by elected leaders who exploit resentments and stoke fears; erode independent judiciaries and the media; enrich cronies; crack down on civil society and political opposition. And challenged from the outside, by autocrats who spread disinformation, who weaponize corruption, who meddle in elections.

“Any single one of these developments would have posed a serious challenge to the post-Cold War order. Together, they’ve upended it,” Blinken said.

He explained that the need to maintain orderliness made President Joe Biden call for an “inflection point”.

The United States, he said, is leading in this pivotal period from a position of strength grounded in humility and confidence.

“Humility because we face challenges that no one country can address alone. Because we know we will have to earn the trust of a number of countries and citizens for whom the old order failed to deliver on many of its promises. Because we recognize that leadership starts with listening, and understanding shared problems from the perspective of others, so that we can find common ground. And because we face profound challenges at home, which we must overcome if we are going to lead abroad.

“But confidence – confidence – because we’ve proven time and again that when America comes together, we can do anything. Because no nation on Earth has a greater capacity to mobilize others in common cause. Because our ongoing endeavor to form a more perfect union allows us to fix our flaws and renew our democracy from within. And because our vision for the future – a world that is open, free, prosperous, and secure – that vision is not America’s alone, but the enduring aspiration of people in every nation on every continent.

“A world where individuals are free in their daily lives, and can shape their own futures, their communities, their countries,” Blinken said.

September 15, 2023