Chinese Consulate in Lagos Briefs Nigerian Media on Taiwan

In October 2026, Xu Fan (徐帆), Director of Bilateral Relations and Commerce at the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos, met with Nigerian media executives to explain the “One China Principle” (一個中國原則), China’s claim that the People’s Republic is the sole legitimate government of China of which Taiwan is an inalienable part. During the briefing, Xu expressed that China “did not object to Nigerian media reporting on Taiwan but was concerned about terminology that could be interpreted as recognising the island as a sovereign state,” according to a report in Nigeria’s BusinessDay newspaper. Xu cited the United Nations General Assembly resolution 2758 of 1971 as the legal basis for that claim and pointed to Nigeria’s reaffirmation of the principle during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024. Nigerian media executives pushed back, stressing the importance of editorial independence and insisting that disagreements over diplomatically sensitive topics should be handled through dialogue. The meeting was organized by Peter Ogbonna Eze of Buffalo and Bay Media and featured diplomat Anderson Madubike, Nigeria’s former consul general in Shanghai. In his closing remarks, Xu called Nigerian media organizations “partners and friends, not enemies,” and offered facilitated training programs, seminars, and media trips to China.