Common dev’t of all ethnic groups best for China, Nigeria – Lin Jing

By Ochiaka Ugwu

L-R: Director of Centre for China Studies (CCS), Mr. Charles Onunaiju, Representative of Abuja Municipal Area Council Chairman, Engr. Ndidiamaka Nwagba, Minister Counsellor of China Embassy, Mr. Lin Jing and Former Director General of Peace Institute, Prof. Joseph Golwa during the event.



The common development of all ethnic groups will be best for China and Nigeria given their similarity of having large number of minority groups, the Minister Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, Mr. Lin Jing has said.

Lin who made this known at a Round-table Dialogue with the theme, “40 years of reform and opening up: Appraising of China’s ethnic minorities social and economic well being” organized by the Centre for China Studies (CCS) in Abuja to commemorate 40 years of China’s reforms and opening up, said that this year marked the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up and China has witnessed its rapid development along with the entire world.

Lin said that China and Nigeria are both major countries with a large number of ethnic groups, that both believe that the common development of all ethnic groups are best to their countries and they have a lot to share and learn from each other in this regard.

“China and Nigeria are both major countries with a large number of ethnic groups, we both believe that the common development of all ethnic groups is best to our countries.

“We have a lot to share and learn from each other in this regard”.

Lin said progress made in autonomous regions of national minorities is a vital part of the whole picture.

He noted that China is a united multi-ethnic state founded jointly by the people of all its ethnic groups saying there are 56 ethnic groups identified and confirmed by the Central Government, with the majority of the population belonging to the Han ethnic group.

He said that China's other 55 ethnic groups are customarily referred to as the national minorities.

Lin stated that in China, equality and unity among ethnic groups as the basic principle and policy for resolving ethnic problems have been clearly defined in the Constitution and relevant laws.

“The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates,” All ethnic groups in the People's Republic of China are equal. The State protects the lawful rights and interests of the ethnic minorities and upholds and develops a relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China's ethnic groups.

“Discrimination against and oppression of any ethnic group are prohibited.” Citizens of all ethnic groups in China enjoy all equal rights accorded to citizens by the Constitution and law”.

Also speaking, Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdulahi Adamu Candidio praised China for developing Nigeria communities at a faster rate within the framework of China, Nigeria Strategic Progressive Partnership.

Candido also noted with pleasure that China, Nigeria progressive cooperation developed and spread prosperity in most local communities where Chinese companies were working.

Candido represented by the Supervisory Councilor for Special Duties, Hon. Engr. Ndidiamaka Nwagba said that China relation with Nigeria is a win-win cooperation which has benefitted a lot for locals.

He therefore, said that Nigeria has a lot to learn from China in harnessing the potentials of the ethnic minorities to achieve a stronger and viable nation.

He said that the policy of Communist Party of China which is centered on people is greatly working in Nigeria and has impacted on the lives of ordinary people.

Candido stressed the need for Nigeria to learn from China based on their similarities to achieve sustainable development for shared future.

Director General of the Centre for China Studies (CCS), Mr. Charles Onunaiju said as China and Africa engage more robustly on several fronts, especially on the flagship of their economic and development cooperation, comparing notes on other various aspects of their respective national lives with a view to draw relevant lesson, there is every need to play important roles in consolidating the partnership.

Onunaiju said China’s reform trajectories have built up huge national aggregates for the people maintaining that without resolving the ethnic nationality question satisfactorily to all the Chinese ethnic nationality groups, including the minorities, the country would not have recorded the universally acclaimed success of her reforms and opening up in the past forty years.

He said the early recognition of the ethnic nationality question by the governing party, the Communist Party of China (CPC) even before the founding of modern China heralded an innovative and unique policy framework that turned what have been in many places tinder-box that ignites national crisis and instability into a powerful asset to grow and build a unified multi-ethnic nation.

He stressed that as a multi-ethnic national unified state, modern China, according to the preamble of her constitution is “created jointly by the people of all nationalities” noting that China has 56 ethnic nationality groups with the Han being the largest with more than 90% of the population, and the Lhoba ethnic nationality numbering less than three thousand people according to the data released by the China ethnic work year book in 2002.

“Proclaiming that “Socialist relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance have been established among the nationalities,” the preamble to the Chinese constitution affirms that in the struggle to safeguard the unity of the nationalities, it is necessary to combat big-nation Chauvinism, mainly Han Chauvinism and to combat local national Chauvinism,” and unequivocally states that “the State will do its utmost to promote the common prosperity of all the nationalities.”

The Deputy Director and Head of Infrastructure Division of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Mr. Eric U. Ani said there is need for Nigeria to copy Chinese model in resolving the minority challenges in Nigeria to enhance all round development and sustainable growth.

A fellow of the Centre for China Studies (CCS) and Former Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Prof. Joseph Golwa said Nigeria should emulate China’s plan to eradicate poverty by 2020 which will automatically put the nation on the path of sustainable development.

He said we should as a matter of policy prioritize the needs of the ethnic nationalities in order to harness their potentials for national unity and sustainable development.

Many government officials and local leaders attended the event with all of them praising China’s contribution to the rapid development of communities in Nigeria with some of them calling on President Xi Jinping to do more by giving Nigeria more grant considering its population and needs which are numerous.