CHINESE foreign minister Mr. Wang Yi’s visit to Nigeria in conclusion of his highly successful five – nation’s African tour, reaffirmed the core principles of Nigeria – China bilateral relations. In a joint communiqué signed by the visiting Chinese foreign minister, Mr. Wang Yi and his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, they both vowed a commitment that the two countries would strengthen “the longstanding friendship and co-operation between them to the benefit of their peoples”, and further reaffirmed “their respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
In giving practical substance to this affirmation, the Nigeria government explicitly states that she recognises that there is only one China in the world, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory”. The Nigerian government further reiterate not to have any official relations or engage in any official contacts with Taiwan”, and vowed to “support all efforts made by the Chinese government to realise national reunification”.
The government of the People’s Republic of China expressed her appreciation to the position of the Nigeria for her definitive stand reaffirming her “one China” policy.
In taking practical measure to reaffirm his commitment to the “one China policy, the Nigeria government issued an unequivocal directive to the Taiwan trade office in Abuja, Nigeria’s political capital to relocate its office to its largest commercial city, Lagos. The Taiwan trade office has been established in Nigeria, following a memorandum of understanding with the Nigeria’s ministry of commerce in 1990, in such a way and manner that any branch of Nigeria’s government could sign MOU with a foreign enterprise or a provincial or regional government of a sovereign State to which she has normal diplomatic relation.
Having taking advantage of its trade office in Abuja to conduct activities that is inconsistent with its status, the Nigeria government in reaffirming the core principles of its one China policy, which recognises that Taiwan is inalienable part of China’s territory, took the step of directing the Taiwan trade office to relocate to Nigeria’s foremost commercial city, so as to protect the integrity of her principle of one China policy.
The Taiwan trade office has undoubtedly abused its privilege of been in the Nigeria’s political capital by clandestinely engaging in political and diplomatic activities, which explicitly calls to question the integrity of Nigeria core principles of “One China” policy, which is the bed rock of Nigeria – China bilateral relation. The Taiwan Trade representative has just in the recent past caused his photograph to be placed in strategic corners of the Nigeria’s capital city, with hold inscription of the “ambassador” of Taiwan to Nigeria. This is extremely provocative and wantonly undermines Nigeria core foreign policy principle of mutual respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity to all nations with which she has a subsisting bilateral co-operation and Taiwan, which is an inalienable part of China is not sovereign State which Nigeria has any diplomatic relation.
As far as Nigeria and other fifty one countries in Africa are concerned, the issue between the Chinese mainland and its Island of Taiwan is the internal and domestic affairs of the People’s Republic of China, for which Africa can only wish for a speedy resolution in the interest of all Chinese people across the straits. In other words, what African is saying with a clear and loud voice is that the Taiwan authorities should end all its pretences to Statehood and the puny diplomacy it engages, to further such futile exercise and engage with its legitimate government in Beijing to discuss and agree on the degree of its provincial autonomy within the sovereign State of the People’s Republic of China.
Both Hong Kong and Macau, which were run previously by foreign powers for several years and fed on anti-China propaganda, have followed the trend of history, reunited with their homeland on the terms of territory integrity and sovereignty of one China with an extensive privilege of considerable autonomy to manage their local affairs. Taiwan cannot remain forever as an outpost of hostile anti-Chinese forces both local and foreign and expect Africa, with its own territorial fault lines, engendered by colonial domination to play to its dangerous script of separatism and splittism.
The successful visit of foreign minister, Wang Yi to Africa would open new vistas of opportunities for Africa and China to extend the frontiers of their cooperative relations. And Africa does not need to be pressured, as is been insinuated by the renegade Taiwan authorities. Nigeria – China relations in particular and China – Africa co-operation in general has come of age and considerably matured enough for each side to appreciate the core interest of each other and respect the sensibilities in each other core concerns. Neither Africa nor China needs to exert pressure on each other to appreciate and respect each other core national sensibilities.
As a founding member of the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China preferred to stay out of the foremost international organisation; it has help to found than to have two Chinas sit at the United Nations until 1971 when Taiwan, calling itself then, the Republic of China with spurious claim of been the sole representative of the Chinese people was kicked out of the world body.
Foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Africa is in line with the evolving Beijing diplomatic tradition to take Africa as the starting point of its global diplomatic work at the beginning of every year and it is a privilege Africa considerably cherishes by also reaffirming its core principles of One China policy in the relations and cooperation with China.
If then, a country like Nigeria choose to clear the dusts and cobwebs in the diplomatic veranda of its strategic relations with China by urging the Taiwan trade office in Nigeria to shape up to its status as a trade office and end any untoward behaviou r that is inconsistent with its status, then it should be seen for what it really is, a routine house cleaning not meant to draw any diplomatic bad blood because it is not.
Beyond the symbolic reaffirmation of the core principle of bilateral co-operation between Nigeria and China, foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit had other crucial issues on its agenda. The ten- point cooperation plans enunciated by president Xi Jinping at the second summit of the Forum on China – Africa co-operation, FOCAC, in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015, with the cash backing of 60 billion U.S. dollars and the assessment of its implementation was top on the agenda. The face of Nigeria and Africa’s infrastructure is gleaning with heavy projects because of that commitments and building on the progress so far achieved is the important challenge of China – African’s diplomacy, and not about Taiwan which is an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Charles Onunaiju, a journalist wrote from Abuja.
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