Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai has said Nigeria and other countries of the world stand to benefit more from their relations with China, following the moderately prosperous society China has built under the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The envoy said this during events to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of China, which was held in Abuja on Friday, stressing that over the past decade, the CPC has rallied and led the entire Chinese nation to win the largest battle against poverty in human history.
He noted that each year, an average of 10 million people were lifted out of poverty, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country, adding that present, nearly 100 million Chinese people in total have shaken off poverty.
Recall that in the last 40 years, China has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty through investment in human capital, industry, science technology and innovation.
The envoy said “the living standards of Chinese people have grown from bare subsistence to moderate prosperity, while China has moved from weakness and poverty to strength and prosperity, achieving the twin miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability in human history.
“Between 2013 and 2023, China contributed over 30 percent on average to global economic growth, making it the largest driving force for the world economy.”
He pointed out that following the successful hosting of the 2024 Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing early this month, Nigeria and other African countries will benefit more from the high-quality development of China which will bring new opportunities to them.
He said “In 2023, bilateral trade between our two countries reached $22.5 billion. Our practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results in areas such as infrastructure, investment, trade, agriculture and green economy, covering projects for the aviation, on the land and in the sea.
“The projects have brought tangible benefits to both Chinese and Nigerian people, and provided concrete support for Nigeria’s social and economic development.”
Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas commended the great strides of China in all facets of human development, adding that Nigeria has benefitted immensely from its bilateral ties with China.
He said “Our two nations have enjoyed fruitful cooperation across various sectors including trade, education, health care, and infrastructure development.
“The recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held a few weeks ago stand as a beacon of hope for our continued collaboration. The agreements reached during this forum with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signify a renewed commitment to strengthening our bilateral ties.
“These agreements will pave the way for further investments in critical areas such as energy production and technology transfer—areas that are vital for Nigeria’s sustainable development. The National Assembly would deploy the necessary legislative framework to support the implementation of these agreements.”
