By Yu Dunhai
On October 13, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth a four-point proposition on advancing China-Africa mining cooperation throughout his assembly with President Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana, who was on a state go to to China. Grounded in the profound transformation of the world vital minerals panorama and Africa’s pressing want for impartial growth, and anchored in the broader context of conventional China-Africa friendship, the proposition charts the course for China-Africa mining cooperation in the new period.
As the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, I’m keenly conscious of the strategic imaginative and prescient, forward-looking perspective, and sensible relevance of those 4 factors. They current a concrete embodiment of the idea of a China-Africa group with a shared future, and supply sturdy help for Nigeria and different African international locations in reworking their useful resource endowment into growth dividends. Drawing on the realities of China-Nigeria mining cooperation, I would love to share with Nigerian buddies a deeper understanding of the wealthy substance of this four-point proposition.
First, we should adhere to the precept that African assets belong to Africa. This is the basic premise of mining cooperation with African nations. Africa has lengthy been locked at the decrease finish of worldwide industrial and worth chains by an inequitable worldwide division of labour–a historic injustice that should be corrected. Resource sovereignty is an integral part of nationwide sovereignty, and the potential to management one’s personal useful resource future is the cornerstone of sustainable growth for African international locations. China absolutely understands and respects Africa’s legit aspirations. We have at all times revered the growth paths independently chosen by African international locations and stand prepared to share our expertise to assist them formulate mining growth plans suited to their nationwide situations. China helps Nigeria and different African international locations in independently charting their mining growth paths, guaranteeing that decision-making energy and the advantages of useful resource growth stay firmly in their very own arms.
Second, we should uphold the precept of pursuing the larger good and shared pursuits, and looking for mutual profit and win-win outcomes. This is the core philosophy of China-Africa mining cooperation. In conducting mining cooperation, China and Africa should uphold a appropriate view of righteousness and profit. China by no means pursues unilateral maximization of advantages in its cooperation with Africa, and at all times adheres to win-win cooperation and customary growth. In Nigeria, Chinese enterprises concerned in vitality and mining sector not solely convey capital and know-how, but in addition adhere to localized operations, and fix significance to expertise coaching and group contributions. The Chinese Embassy will proceed to information Chinese enterprises in Nigeria to improve their operational capabilities, switch inexperienced applied sciences, strengthen public welfare help, drive native employment and expertise coaching, and promote South-South cooperation in the mining sector.
Third, we should pursue high-quality growth. This is the path of progress for China-Africa mining cooperation. Promoting native processing, extending industrial chains and rising worth addition are the key pathways for Africa to convert useful resource benefits into growth power. China has at all times been a doer in supporting Africa’s growth and can proceed to drive the transformation of China-Africa mining cooperation in direction of greater industrial worth addition. We will deepen the alignment between China’s fifteenth Five-Year Plan and Nigeria’s “Renewed Hope” Agenda, push tasks additional into deep processing and high-value-added segments, and assist Nigeria construct a extra full industrial system. In this fashion, assets can actually develop into a driver of modernisation fairly than a supply of so-called “resource curse.”
Fourth, we should preserve a honest and open cooperation surroundings. This is a crucial safeguard for mining cooperation with Africa. Africa’s assets ought to by no means be become instruments of geopolitical rivalry. Any try to politicize or instrumentalize African useful resource points in addition to to create confrontation and division will critically injury the basic pursuits of the African folks. China persistently advocates open cooperation and honest competitors. We welcome all events that genuinely want to help Africa’s growth and stand prepared to work with African companions to preserve a secure and predictable market surroundings for mining cooperation, thereby creating extra beneficial situations for enterprise funding and operations. China is prepared to be part of arms with Nigeria in rejecting any try to deal with mineral assets as bargaining chip in geopolitical video games, guaranteeing that useful resource growth at all times serves growth and advantages the folks.
I would love to emphasise in specific that the Chinese authorities requires all Chinese enterprises and residents in Nigeria to strictly abide by Nigerian legal guidelines and rules and to function in a lawful and compliant method. We preserve a zero-tolerance coverage towards unlawful mining and different felony actions. China helps Nigeria in taking sturdy measures to strengthen mining governance. The information present that the overwhelming majority of Chinese mining enterprises in Nigeria function in accordance with the regulation, actively fulfil their social tasks and defend the surroundings. Isolated and inaccurate allegations that exaggerate particular person instances or distort the information are neither honest nor conducive to the general China-Nigeria friendship and cooperation. We stand prepared to work with the Nigerian facet to additional regulate market order, collectively fight unlawful mining, and foster a wholesome and clear enterprise surroundings.
China and Africa share a widespread future and a vibrant outlook. Mechanism platforms resembling the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation proceed to present strong help, whereas the dividends of China’s zero-tariff coverage for all diplomatic companions in Africa proceed to unfold, creating beneficial situations for deeper China-Africa cooperation. I’m satisfied that so long as either side uphold mutual respect and mutual profit, we will flip Africa’s useful resource endowment into tangible growth outcomes, ship larger advantages to the Chinese and African peoples, and make larger contributions to constructing a China-Africa group with a shared future.
China stands prepared to work hand in hand with Nigeria and different African international locations to absolutely implement President Xi Jinping’s four-point proposal on China-Africa mining cooperation, write a new chapter of high-quality growth in China-Africa mining cooperation, be certain that Africa’s assets actually serve the growth of the African folks, and make China-Africa mining cooperation a mannequin of South-South cooperation and an necessary pressure in advancing Africa’s modernisation.
*H.E. Yu Dunhai is Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria
