Envoy Urges Nigeria To Follow China’s Lead To Economic Prosperity.

Mr Zhang Yi, the Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, emphasised the importance of Nigeria embracing harmony as a key driver of national development.
Zhang made this statement on Thursday in Abuja at a seminar titled “Promoting Harmony Through Mutual Learning,” which was organised by the Chinese Embassy in collaboration with the China Alumni Association and the University of Abuja.
The envoy, drawing parallels with China’s path to economic prosperity, shared insights into how embracing diversity while prioritising harmony had played an important role in China’s growth story.
According to him, harmony is defined in the Longman dictionary as when people live or work together without fighting or disagreeing.
He said: “Harmony is more emphasised by the Chinese people in our culture. At the level of man and nature, we advocate harmony in coexistence; at the level of family and society, we advocate harmony in integration.
“At the level of nation and civilization, we advocate harmony in diversity: at the level of state and governance, we advocate harmony in development.
“We believe that fostering harmony among various ethnic groups, fostering political stability, and prioritizing infrastructure development were crucial steps towards unlocking Nigeria’s full potential.
“In short, our ultimate goal is to create a harmonious world with peaceful development of mankind.
“As we all know, friendship, which stems from close contact between people, is the key to good state-to-state relations, and our cultures can help to build a friendship bridge between China and Nigeria,” he said.
Zhang reaffirmed China’s commitment to assisting Nigeria’s development through strategic partnerships, technology transfers, and infrastructure investments.
He emphasised the importance of bilateral cooperation in critical sectors such as energy, transportation, and telecommunications in driving economic growth and creating opportunities for both countries.
Prof. Sheriff Ibrahim, Head of the Political Science and International Relations Department at the University of Abuja, said the seminar comes at a critical time for Nigeria, which is dealing with issues of insecurity, economic challenges, and social tensions.