Amid significant geopolitical shifts, China has reiterated its commitment to global cooperation and stability, underscoring its diplomatic achievements and strategic vision for sustainable development and regional partnerships.
Chinese Foreign Minister and member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Yi, highlighted these priorities while reflecting on the country’s diplomatic progress in 2024. He emphasised the importance of head-of-state diplomacy, crediting President Xi Jinping’s proactive role in fostering global cooperation, hosting high-level summits, and strengthening ties with key international partners.
“China’s diplomacy remains steadfast in upholding justice, peace, and fairness,” Yi stated, noting that the country’s approach is rooted in mutual respect and shared development.
Yi described Africa as a “fertile land of hope in the 21st century,” stressing that global modernisation would be incomplete without Africa’s growth. He called on the international community to support Africa’s economic empowerment and self-reliance, positioning China’s relationship with the Global South as central to global development.
Addressing sensitive geopolitical issues, Yi reaffirmed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and criticised external interference in the region. On China-Russia relations, he emphasised the principles of non-alliance and non-confrontation while advocating peace negotiations in the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
Yi also addressed the South China Sea, warning against actions that threaten regional stability. He maintained that China’s position is guided by international law and the principle of peaceful coexistence.
On the technological front, Yi highlighted China’s determination to overcome external restrictions and advance scientific breakthroughs. “Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation,” he declared.
Consul General of the People’s Republic of China to Lagos, Yan Yuqing, speaking at the Lagos Forum Think Tank and Media Dialogue, detailed China’s economic targets set during the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.
The Chinese government aims for an economic growth rate of around 5% in 2025, with a focus on job creation, inflation control, and fiscal stability. Plans include maintaining an urban unemployment rate of approximately 5.5% while creating over 12 million new jobs. The consumer price index is expected to rise by around 2%.
China will also issue 1.3 trillion yuan (US$182 billion) in ultra-long special treasury bonds, an increase of 300 billion yuan from the previous year. An additional 500 billion yuan will be allocated to support major state-owned banks in replenishing capital. Local governments are set to issue 4.4 trillion yuan in special-purpose bonds for infrastructure projects, land acquisitions, and overdue payments to enterprises.
To stabilise key markets, the government plans to provide targeted support for the real estate and stock markets while investing 300 billion yuan in consumer goods trade-in programmes to stimulate domestic consumption.
China will prioritise strategic industries, including commercial space, low-altitude economy, biomanufacturing, quantum technology, embodied AI, and 6G. Efforts will also focus on strengthening manufacturing by integrating AI into production processes and enhancing industrial supply chains.
Education and social policies remain a priority, with plans to expand free preschool education, increase senior high school enrolment, and provide childcare subsidies to encourage higher birth rates. Regulatory reforms will target arbitrary charges and fines, aiming to create a more stable business environment.
China will continue to strengthen foreign trade and investment, with a renewed focus on the Belt and Road Initiative. Policies will be tailored to stabilise trade flows and deepen international economic cooperation. Measures to improve pharmaceutical oversight and boost public confidence in medicine procurement are also underway.
Speaking on China’s governance framework, Professor Efem Ubi, Acting Director of Research and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), described the “Two Sessions” — the annual meetings of the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) — as the largest legislative event in the world. Held every March in Beijing, the sessions serve as a strategic platform for outlining China’s national agenda.
The NPC, with approximately 3,000 members, is China’s highest policy-making body, empowered to elect and remove the President. The CPPCC, comprising around 2,000 members, represents various political parties and ethnic groups.
Ubi noted that China’s political system, rooted in socialism with Chinese characteristics, ensures policy continuity and shields the country from the disruptions of inter-party rivalry seen in other nations.
Publisher of Africa China Economy Magazine, Ikenna Emewu, highlighted China’s successful poverty reduction efforts. He recalled that during the 2016 Two Sessions, Premier Li Keqiang set a target to lift 20 million people out of poverty — a goal that was achieved. Between 1978 and 2016, China lifted 835 million people out of poverty, contributing 94% of the global poverty reduction under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Emewu advised developing nations, including Nigeria, to adopt China’s adaptive governance model. “Democracy and governance should be adapted to local realities,” he said. “China’s success lies in tailoring its political and economic models to fit its unique circumstances, rather than blindly adopting foreign systems.”
China’s strategic economic and political agenda for 2025 reflects a broader vision to enhance global cooperation, drive technological innovation, and secure long-term economic resilience.
