CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND OF STUDY:

The Peoples‟ Republic of China is sometimes referred to as a modern day miracle and continues to draw the attention of the entire world for the remarkable progress it has made in economic development (Rose, 2014). Given the political complexities and the emergence of china as a great economic world power, it becomes important for us as students of international relations to study the strategic relationship between a “democratic” Nigeria and “undemocratic” China. However, the importance of political economy as a concept to the understanding of behavioral patterns and relationship strides of nation states especially Nigeria which I will be examining in this research cannot be undermined, as it will further give clarifications on Nigeria‟s foreign policy towards china (the Asian big gun).

Put differently, Following China‟s economic growth in the 1980s, Nigerian leaders began to look forward to a more serious economic engagement with China (Bukaremba, 2005). The relationship between Nigeria and China was cooperative and cordial, especially between 1999 and 2009. Prior to this time, Nigeria as a country was basically pro-western. Thus, had little or nothing diplomatically to do then with china. “Nigeria‟s first contact with China took place in 1960 when a Chinese delegation, on the invitation of the Nigerian government, attended Nigeria‟s independence celebrations. The delegation brought a message from Chinese leaders congratulating Nigeria on the victory won by the Nigerian people in their struggle against colonialism. In February, 1971, Nigeria finally established diplomatic ties with China more than a decade after independence.  Both countries opened embassies in each other‟s capital within the year. The Chinese government has described this relationship as a “win-win” situation” (Agubamah, 2014). The period between 1971 and early 1999 witnessed minimal diplomatic exchanges, low bi-lateral trade relations, a near absence of Chinese Foreign Direct Investments inflow to Nigeria. Nigeria at the time adopted a broadly pro-western policy with traditional development and trade partners mostly of European and American origin (Edakoh, n.d.). Since the dawn of the new millennium and century in 2000 A.D, relations between China and Nigeria, and indeed Africa has been on an aggressive upward trend characterized by unprecedented renewed positive and mutually beneficial cooperation arrangements, to the concern of western countries across Europe and North America (Edakoh, n.d.).In October 2000, China hosted the first Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing. In May 1999 when Nigeria returned to constitutional democracy, President Obasanjo‟s visited China twice in 2001 and 2005 respectively with his Chinese counterpart reciprocating both visits. China and Nigeria have also signed a number of agreements on trade, economic and technological cooperation as well as on investment protection (Nuhu, 2012). In 2004, the volume of trade grew by 17.6 percent, with Nigeria‟s exports to China registering a growth of 330 percent. China‟s main exports to Nigeria are light industrial, mechanical and electrical products. China‟s main imports from Nigeria are petroleum, timber and cotton (Akongbowa, 2008). The conference is believed to have laid the foundation and set the pace for a new order that has witnessed a significant shift in Nigeria‟s and Africa‟s foreign diplomatic and economic relations. Soon after the Beijing conference, Sino-Nigeria relations assumed a new dimension characterized by rapid and aggressive economic, cultural, scientific, and educational cooperation, increasing Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), aids/ grants, technical assistance as well as several sponsored training programs for Nigerian officials. China has now emerged as Nigeria‟s and Africa‟s major development and trade partner, having taking the place of Europe and North America in Nigeria‟s development agenda.

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