BACKPAGE COLUMN by Yu Dunhai
Not long ago, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was convened in Beijing. During the session, the document Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development was deliberated and adopted, charting the course for China’s development over the next five years.
The plenum called for steadily expanding institutional opening-up, safeguarding the multilateral trading system, promoting broader international economic flows, and advancing reform and development through opening-up, thereby creating broader space for China and the world to share development opportunities.
In early November, the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) was successfully held in Shanghai. As the first major economic and diplomatic event following the Fourth Plenary Session, this year’s CIIE not only demonstrated the vast potential of the Chinese market but also served as a platform for global partners, including Nigeria, to connect and collaborate.
Nigeria participated in the Expo a Guest Country of Honor. During the event, the Hon.Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a productive meeting with the Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and his delegation. Building on these high-level engagements, Nigeria’s presence was further highlighted at its national pavilion.
Showcasing the country’s economic achievements, investment potential, and high-quality products, the Nigeria Pavilion attracted considerable attention from Chinese buyers and investment institutions. Nigerian businesses used this platform to gain direct access to China’s vast market and enhance their brand visibility through exchanges with international exhibitors. Key Nigerian exports—such as agricultural products, processed foods, and creative industry goods—continued to be well-received by Chinese consumers, injecting new vitality into bilateral economic and trade relations.
This year, the CIIE upgraded its special exhibition zone for products from the world’s least developed countries, many of which are from Africa. This upgrade enabled enterprises and products from all 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China to fully benefit from zero-tariff treatment. More than 80 business associations from over 50 countries and regions participated as groups, underscoring the CIIE’s unique role in supporting global small and medium-sized enterprises. The Hongqiao International Economic Forum, held in tandem with the CIIE, focused for the first time on the themes of “economic resilience” and “sustainable agricultural development” in the Global South, further demonstrating China’s commitment to advancing hand in hand with developing countries.
Over the past five years, China’s economy has maintained steady growth amid a complex international environment. By the end of 2025, China’s total economic output is expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan (approximately USD 19.4 trillion), contributing about 30% to global economic growth. China has continued to promote technological innovation and green transformation while further expanding opening up, creating new opportunities for global cooperation.
Nigeria, as a major African economy with a young population and vast market potential, has seen its relations with China enter a fast track of development under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state. Bilateral trade has grown steadily, surpassing USD 20 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 32.56%. China has remained one of Nigeria’s top trading partners for many years. The two countries have achieved fruitful cooperation in energy, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and the digital economy, while also exploring new opportunities in green transformation and emerging industries.
The year 2026 will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nigeria. China is ready to take this opportunity to deepen the alignment of development strategies with Nigeria, effectively connecting China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with Nigeria’s “Renewed Hope” Agenda, expand practical cooperation across multiple fields, and support Nigeria’s industrial and agricultural modernization.
Today, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. China cannot be separated from the world in achieving development, and the world also needs China for prosperity. No matter how the international landscape evolves, China’s determination to expand high-level opening up will remain unchanged; its resolve to share development opportunities with the world will remain unchanged; and its commitment to promoting open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win economic globalization will remain unchanged.
China will continue to advance high-level opening up, work together with Nigeria and other African countries to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, and jointly create a better future defined by openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit.
Yu Dunhai is the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria
