The Chinese government on Wednesday protested the non- implementation of the “One China” policy by the Nigerian government despite the directive from President Muhammadu Buhari to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to honour and implement the policy.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, told the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that the President on his return from a state visit to China in 2016 directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to implement the “One China” policy.
The envoy said the directive has not been fully implemented till date.
He also told the APC chairman that China is almost approving the $5billion pledge to support infrastructure projects in Nigeria.
He said: “This year is a big one for party politics in China. Every five years, we hold party conventions where we draw a new blueprint for the years ahead. That means major policy decisions will be made at the National Congress of the Communist Party of China. A new Central Committee will be elected at the congress. The central committee will in turn elect the new central leadership.”
Pingjian recalled that a United Nations 1971 resolution ensured the Communist Peoples Republic of China (mainland China) assumed the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) place in the General Assembly as well as its place as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The envoy added: “China and Nigeria have been very good friends since 1971. That year we set up diplomatic relations and that year, Nigeria was one of the 23 countries that supported the United Nations General Assembly’s vote to admit the People’s Republic of China.
“Unfortunately, in 1999, Nigeria’s ministry of commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan which led to the setting up of a trade mission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Nigeria. That is two Chinas. For years, we have kept the pressure on Nigeria.
“Last year President Muhammadu Buhari was in Beijing for a state visit and the Chinese President, raised the issue. Upon returning to Nigeria, President Buhari sent out directives to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to honour and implement the One China policy.
“Nigeria’s policy is one China but unfortunately, it has not been fully executed. The mission contravenes the Policy of One China. What we are asking the ministry of foreign affairs to do is to fully implement and execute the One China policy.”
