Ambassador to Nigeria Zhou Pingjian met with the Nigerian Foreign Minister and jointly met with the press

April 14, 2020 Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Zhou Pingjian met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Onyeama and jointly met the press.

Zhou Pingjian stated that in recent days, he has maintained close communication and exchanges with Foreign Minister Onyeama regarding issues concerning Nigerian citizens in China affected by Guangdong Province's epidemic prevention measures, and a consensus has been reached. Adversity reveals true friendship. We will not forget the valuable support given by the Nigerian government and people during China's most difficult time in fighting the epidemic. China's friendly policy towards Africa remains unchanged, and China-Africa friendship is unbreakable. China cherishes the strategic partnership between the two countries, and China and Nigeria will always be good friends, good partners, and good brothers. We believe that Nigeria has the determination and capability to overcome the epidemic, and we believe that China-Nigeria friendship will become even closer in the joint fight against the epidemic. Guangdong and Guangzhou are making every effort to fight the epidemic, absolutely not targeting Nigerians, Africans, or any foreigners. We treat all foreign personnel in China equally, oppose any differentiated practices targeting specific groups, and have zero tolerance for discriminatory words and deeds. This is unequivocal. With the joint efforts of all parties, the reasonable concerns of Nigerian and African friends have been or are being effectively resolved. The whole world is still fighting the epidemic. China is committed to strengthening cooperation with Nigeria and jointly overcoming the epidemic.

Onyeama said that a few days ago, an audio recording made by a Nigerian businessman in Guangzhou in Igbo language appeared online, and someone translated its content into English, clearly explaining that the related incidents were not as depicted in social media videos. The world we live in is deeply influenced by social media, and there are always people who promote and push their own opinions based on different interests. For the Nigerian government and people, we should view these issues with great caution and objectivity. I am glad to see that the communication and coordination between Nigerian missions in China and Chinese governments at all levels have become closer. The statement by a Nigerian consular official in a web video regarding 'passports cannot be detained' was incorrect, possibly due to a communication issue. The Chinese government is actively responding to the legitimate concerns and rightful demands of the African side, and related issues have seen significant improvement.

Onyeama said that regarding China's international cooperation in fighting the epidemic, he would like to say that China impressed them deeply, because at the beginning of the outbreak, China's extreme measures like the lockdown order in Wuhan required immense courage and decisiveness. He had never seen an entire city, or even a country, go into lockdown in his life. But Wuhan dared to be the first, and then other countries followed suit. China was the first to emerge from the epidemic, and at the same time, it provided a lot of firm support to the world, engaged in extensive cooperation with the world, and offered material and personnel assistance to various countries. More importantly, China shared a large amount of data with the world, because the epidemic first broke out in China, and China's understanding of this epidemic surpasses that of any other country. In Europe, America, and Africa, China has provided a large amount of anti-epidemic supplies, equipment, and technical support. Nigeria highly appreciates the help China has provided to other countries. He understood what happened in Wuhan and saw the tremendous efforts made by the Chinese people to effectively control the epidemic. Although he is not a medical expert, he believes other countries urgently need to learn from China's methods. Undeniably, China has provided us with a successful model for fighting the epidemic.