REPORT OF DIALOGUE ON CHINA’S GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF NIGERIA-CHINA COOPERATION

REPORT OF DIALOGUE ON CHINA’S GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF NIGERIA-CHINA COOPERATION ORGANIZED BY THE CENTER FOR CHINA STUDIES ON THE 30^TH OF OCTOBER, 2019 AT TRANSCORP HILTON, ABUJA.

INTRODUCTION:

The dialogue was organized by the Center for China Studies (CCS), an independent research think-tank on the study of China, her phenomenal rise, and important engagement with Africa. The Director of the center, Mr. Charles Onunaiju declared the dialogue open by welcoming all the invitees; he also thanked the invited scholars from both the Chinese and the Nigerian academic environments for honoring the invitation. The dialogue attracts scholars from the Chinese and Nigerian academic environments with the aim of exploring Nigeria-China cooperation, to see how institutions and sustainable approaches, as well as governance structure, can give an open invitation to expanding the trajectory of cooperation between China and Nigeria. Delegates from the Association of Community Social Volunteers International (ACSVI) were also present at the venue of the dialogue at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Nigeria. The scholars from the Chinese community include Professor Wang Yiwei, Professor Luo Jianbo, and Dr. Yu Jia, while the scholars from the Nigerian academic environment include Professor Nazifi, Dr. Sharif, and Dr. Udenta.

DISCUSSIONS:

The dialogue commenced at about 10.30 am with opening brief remarks by Distinguished Senator Shehu Sani. He appreciated the opportunity given to him by the Center for China Studies (CSS) to deliver opening remarks. Further, he stated that to us as a developing country, we see China as a compass; that we should learn from the travails, challenges, and successes of China. China represents an idea that has succeeded. It has been able to prove that third-world countries can achieve development without relying on anyone. China has also been able to move from a backward underdeveloped country to one that has established and liberated itself from imperialist rule.

The next speaker and first presenter, Professor Wang Yiwei made the first presentation on China-Africa Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to promote policy coordination, facilities connectivity, free and easy trade flow, financial integration, and people-to-people exchange among nations.

He introduced his Belt and Road Initiative book and talked briefly about his early academic experience with regards to a high school railway changing his life. That China’s industrial values contribute 28% to the whole world to help the new wave of industrialization. That China is the most independent in the United Nations categories. He spoke on the various philosophies that guided China’s evolvement from confiscus to Buddhist and so on. He decried the practice in African markets, where we sell raw materials to the European Union and thereby become poorer. Further, he discloses that no fewer than 180 countries signed MOU with China on the Belt and Road Initiative due to its economic social, and other significance. Also talked about is the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative as it reduces shipping costs for both BRI and Non-BRI countries. This is because, in today’s world, 90% of trade is via the sea. Therefore, by building roads on the sea, Nigeria has formally appended her signature to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiatives, which is a mutually beneficial and win-win initiative.

BRI components according to him include railway, highway sea lines, oil-gas pipeline, power transmission, and communication. That if you want to be rich, then build connectivity. As such, the BRI transportation network represents the longest economic corridor across the globe which has connected the world in a number of ways and means. Journeys that last 75 days now have been reduced to 11 days. Therefore, BRI ushers in inclusive globalization, and African countries too have celebrated over 120 years of rail existence i.e. Mombasa in Kenya.

The next presenter among the Chinese scholars is Dr. Yu Jia. In her remarks, she shares Chinese oversea investment steps. That forty years ago, Nigeria’s GDP was four times higher than China’s. However, forty years later, China’s GDP is four times higher than Nigeria’s. According to her, factors responsible for China’s economic improvement include enabling government, effective market, dynamic entrepreneurship, and continued innovation. Private sector enterprises have been key to Chinese economic development contributing more than 50%. She insisted that government will have to provide some incentives for investors to enable investment to thrive while giving examples with the Sijin part of China. China’s FDI in 2018 is USD 2 trillion.

PHOTO GALLERY OF THE DIALOGUE