Chinese Embassy Explains One-China Principle to Nigerian Media Executives

The Chinese Embassy held a meeting with Nigerian media executives in Lagos to explain its One-China Principle. Director of Bilateral Relations and Commerce, Mr. Xu Fan, emphasized that China's stance on Taiwan stems from historical records, international agreements, and the diplomatic framework established after World War II. He referenced UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971 and Nigeria's diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China.

Fan stressed that the One-China Principle serves as the political foundation of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Abuja, and that China does not object to Nigerian media reporting on Taiwan, but objects to terminology that could be interpreted as recognizing the island as a sovereign state. The meeting, chaired by Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, discussed Nigeria-China relations across various sectors including trade, investment, media cooperation, and infrastructure.

Eze highlighted the expanding partnership that now includes agriculture, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, while Madubike, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Australia and former Consul General in Shanghai, described the relations as robust, underscoring the importance of media in sustaining diplomatic ties. Both emphasized the need for accurate and balanced reporting, with Xu acknowledging trade imbalance concerns and proposing regulatory solutions rather than excluding Chinese businesses from Nigeria.

The discussion also addressed illegal mining activities involving Chinese nationals, with the Chinese Embassy cooperating with Nigerian authorities to address such violations.