China–Nigeria relations

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China–Nigerian relations
Map indicating locations of People's Republic of China and Nigeria

China
Nigeria

The bilateral relations between the

People's Republic of China were formally established on February 10, 1971 - a decade after Nigeria gained its independence from the British Empire. Relations between Nigeria and China have expanded on growing bilateral trade
and strategic cooperation. China is also one of Nigeria's important trading and export partners.

Although Nigeria maintains trade relations with Taiwan, and has a representative office in Taipei, it issued a joint communiqué with China in 2005, reaffirming that Beijing was "the only legitimate government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an unalienable part of its territory".[1]

Nigeria has an embassy in Beijing, a consulate in Guangzhou, and consulates-general in Shanghai and Hong Kong.[2] China has an embassy in Abuja and a consulate-general in Lagos.[3]

History

Nigeria and the People's Republic of China established formal

diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971.[4][5][6] Relations between the two nations grew closer as a result of the international isolation and Western condemnation of Nigeria's military dictatorships (1970s-1998). Nigeria has since become an important source of oil and petroleum for China's rapidly growing economy and Nigeria is looking to China for help in achieving high economic growth; China has provided extensive economic, military, and political support.[7][8]

In 1996, as the Clinton administration lobbied in favor of sanctions against Nigeria. China, along with West-European countries, were unfavorable to a global freeze of Nigerian assets.[9]

In 2004 and again in 2006,

U.N. Security Council.[4] As of February 2013, the Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria was Deng Boqing.[11]

In response to the hesitation of the

space programs;[13] China helped develop and launch the Nigerian communications satellite (NigComSat-1) by 2007 to expand cellular and internet networks in Central Africa.[13][14][15]

In January 2017, the Nigerian government ordered Taiwan to move its unofficial embassy out of Abuja, arguing that the African country was a defender of the

One-China vision. This order came after Nigeria obtained a $40 billion investment pledge from China.[16]

In 2021, the two countries celebrated their 50 years of official relations.[17]

Treatment of Nigerians in China

Further information: Racism in China § Discrimination against Africans and people of African descent

In April 2020, the foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, condemned China's discriminatory attitude towards Nigerians, after a video emerged on the web showing Nigerian residents in China being discriminated against by locals. While Chinese officials said they took the issue very seriously,[18] they also blamed Western media for emphasizing isolated events to feed a PR smear campaign over its Nigerian interests.[19]

In November 2020, the Chinese government blocked entry to China for all foreigners, including Nigerians, over

COVID-19 concerns, except for "essential services" including diplomatic service.[20]

It was reported that Nigerians in China were placed on lockdown for more than the average 2-week quarantine a Chinese citizen would experience.[21]

Economic relations

Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative

Bilateral trade reached US$3 billion in 2006 – up from $384 million in 1998.

textiles, and led to the closure of 65 textile mills and the laying-off of 150,000 textile workers over the course of a decade.[10] Nigerian militants have also threatened to attack Chinese workers and projects in the Niger Delta.[10] In 2010, trade between the two countries was worth US$7.8 billion.[22] In 2011, Nigeria was the 4th largest trading partner of China in Africa and in the first 8 months of 2012, it was the 3rd.[23]

In April 2018, Nigeria signed a $2.4-billion currency swap deal valid for 3 years.[24] In 2019, bilateral trade between China and Nigeria reached $19.27 billion.[17]

Chinese development finance to Nigeria

From 2000 to 2011, there were approximately 40 Chinese official development finance projects identified in Nigeria through various media reports.[25] These projects ranged from a $2.5 billion loan for Nigerian rail, power, or telecommunications projects in 2008, to an MoU for $1 billion for the construction of houses and water supply in Abuja in 2009, and several rail networks.[26]

Since 2000, trade relations have risen exponentially. There has been an increase in total trade of over 10,384 million dollars between the two nations from 2000 to 2016.

trade imbalance with Nigeria importing ten times more than it exports to China. Nigeria's economy is becoming over-reliant on cheap foreign imports to sustain itself, resulting in a clear decline in Nigerian Industry under such arrangements.[28] In September 2018, Nigeria signed a $328 million loan with China to heavily boost the development of telecommunication infrastructures in Nigeria.[29]

China provided the financing for the following projects in Nigeria:[17]

In exchange, Nigeria often/systematically hires a Chinese firm to oversee its development projects, such as the 3,050 MW Mambilla hydroelectric Power Station.[30]

Chinese military equipment sales

In 2015, a China-made drone crashed in the countryside of Nigeria.[31] It is believed the drone was involved in Nigeria's struggle against the Islamic militant group, Boko Haram.[32] China supplied the CH-3 to Nigeria's government prior to 2014, along with YC-200 guided bombs and AR-1 air-to-ground missiles.[33]

In 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Chief, Air Marshal

Wing Loong II, CH-4, and CH-3 drones.[34]

Space cooperation

In 2006, Nigeria obtained $200 million in preferential buyer's credit from the

solar arrays.[35]: 303  Funded by insurance proceeds, a replacement was launched from China in 2011.[35]
: 302–303 

In 2018, Nigeria signed an agreement with China to purchase two communications satellites with funds provided the Export-Import Bank of China.[35]: 303–304  In exchange, China will receive part ownership of Nigerian Communications Satellite, a Nigerian government-owned company that manages satellite communications.[35]: 304 

As of mid-2019, China had provided 500 Nigerian students with scholarships for training as space engineers.[35]: 303 

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-8122-0800-9
    .
  2. ^ "Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, China". beijing.ngembassy.org. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Consular District". ng.china-embassy.org. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b "China launches satellite for Nigeria". OnlineNigeria.com. 2004-10-28. Archived from the original on 2006-06-30. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  5. ^ a b c "Chinese, Nigerian presidents agree to promote strategic partnership". NEWSGD.com. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  6. ^ Milutin Tomanović, ed. (1972). Hronika međunarodnih događaja 1971 [The Chronicle of International Events in 1971] (in Serbo-Croatian). Belgrade: Institute of International Politics and Economics. p. 2598.
  7. ^ a b "Nigeria gets $1bn China rail loan". BBC News. 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  8. ^ a b c d "China and Nigeria agree oil deal". BBC News. 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  9. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  10. ^ a b c d Taylor, Ian (May 2007). "Sino-Nigerian Relations: FTZs, Textiles and Oil". China Brief - Jamestown Foundation. 7 (11). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  11. ^ Victoria Ojeme (Vanguard) (2013-01-29). "Nigeria: Chinese Govt Hands Over U.S.$12.5 Million Hospital to Nigeria". allafrica.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  12. ^ a b "Nigeria turns to China for defence aid". Financial Times. 2006-02-27. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  13. ^ a b "China launches satellite for Nigeria". MSNBC. 2007-05-14. Archived from the original on 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  14. ^ "China launches Nigerian satellite". BBC News. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  15. ^ Cody, Edward (2007-05-14). "China Builds and Launches a Satellite for Nigeria". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  16. ^ Kuo, Lily (12 January 2017). "After getting a $40 billion pledge from China, Nigeria ordered Taiwan's unofficial embassy to move out". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  17. ^ a b c "Nigeria-China Relations And 20 Years Of FOCAC". Leadership Newspaper. 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  18. ^ "'Unacceptable': Nigeria condemns treatment of citizens in China". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  19. ^ Asiedu, Kwasi Gyamfi (14 April 2020). "China has failed to convince anyone videos of Africans being evicted is just a "misunderstanding"". Quartz. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  20. ^ Olisah, Chike (2020-11-05). "China bars Nigerians, others from entry due to Covid-19". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  21. ^ "The maltreatment of Nigerians in China isn't likely to end anytime soon". Quartz. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  22. ^ "China pledges $20bn in credit for Africa at summit". BBC News Online. BBC. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  23. ^ "Mozambique-China Trade Continues to Grow". allafrica.com. 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  24. ^ Chris Giles (4 May 2018). "Nigeria secures $2.4 billion currency deal with China". CNN. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  25. ^ Austin Strange, Bradley C. Parks, Michael J. Tierney, Andreas Fuchs, Axel Dreher, and Vijaya Ramachandran. 2013. China’s Development Finance to Africa: A Media-Based Approach to Data Collection. CGD Working Paper 323. Washington DC: Center for Global Development.[1]
  26. ^ Strange, Parks, Tierney, Fuchs, Dreher, and Ramachandran, China’s Development Finance to Africa: A Media-Based Approach to Data Collection.http://aiddatachina.org/projects/1851
  27. ^ LeVan, Carl; Ukata, Patrick (2018). The Oxford Handbook of Nigerian Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 751.
  28. ^ LeVan, p. 754-756.
  29. ^ "China loans Nigeria $328 million to boost telecoms: Nigeria presidency". Reuters. 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  30. ^ "Nigeria awards dam power plant contract to Chinese state firm again". Reuters. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  31. ^ Singer, Jeffrey Lin and P. W. "It Looks Like An Armed Chinese-Made Drone Crashed In Nigeria". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  32. ^ "Did An Armed Chinese-Made Drone Just Crash in Nigeria?". Popular Science. 28 January 2015.
  33. ^ "CH-3 fighting in Nigeria". Archived from the original on 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  34. ^ "Nigerian Air Force getting Wing Loong, CH-3 and CH-4 UAVs". defenceWeb. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  35. ^
    ISBN 978-0-231-21001-0
    .

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China–Nigeria relations
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