China has once again underscored its unwavering adherence to the One-China policy, emphasizing that Taiwan is not a sovereign state but rather an integral component of Chinese land. This assertion was delivered by Dong Hairong, Counselor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, during a media gathering in Abuja on Thursday.
The event, hosted by the Centre for China Studies and the Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research, served as a platform for Hairong to call for enhanced global comprehension of the Taiwan issue and China’s territorial stance. She highlighted recent events, such as Taiwanese regional leader Lai Ching-te’s visit to Eswatini and reports of interactions between Nigerian journalists and Taiwanese representatives, as instances of efforts to promote separatist viewpoints.
“Since ancient times, Taiwan has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory,” Hairong declared. “Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one.”
Echoing this sentiment, Otunba Segun Showunmi, Convener of The Alternative Movement, urged Nigeria to deepen strategic collaboration with China, citing Beijing’s rise as a global economic and technological powerhouse. Showunmi argued that Abuja would derive greater benefits from robust ties with China than from separate dealings with Taiwan. “In another century, the advantages Nigeria will gain from a solid partnership with China far exceed what Taiwan could offer in a millennium,” he stated.
Furthermore, Prof. Ghali Ibrahim, Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria and Director of the Centre for China-Africa Research, affirmed that the One-China principle enjoys widespread international acceptance due to Taiwan’s lack of sovereign legal status. “Taiwan is not an independent sovereign entity; it is a territory belonging to China,” Ibrahim noted.