According to the Chinese government, claims that it is supporting militants to get access to mining locations in Nigeria are baseless.
This follows a report by The Times of the United Kingdom that said China may be sponsoring terrorists in Nigeria in order to profit from the nation’s mining operations.
Beijing “may be indirectly funding terror” in Nigeria, according to a story dated April 15, 2023 and titled “Chinese ‘bribed Nigerian militants for access to vast mineral reserves.”
The Chinese Embassy, on the other hand, stated that the report is based on “unverified, unclear, and unproven information,” to which they must strongly disagree.
The statement continued, “The Chinese government, along with the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, have always encouraged and urged the Chinese companies and nationals in Nigeria to comply with Nigerian laws and regulations, and to implement local rules and guidance on labor, environment, health and safety, etc. They would continue their efforts in this regard.
“The Chinese government never supported terrorism in any way and never will. The claims made in the report were completely careless and immoral, and the report’s motivations are substantially in doubt.
“Over the past decades, China and Nigeria’s bilateral cooperation has benefited our bilateral relations and the welfare of the two peoples in real ways. Together with the Nigerian government, we’ll keep advancing development and addressing security concerns.
We would reject any intention or action that would cast doubt on our cooperation, but we would welcome international partners to join our efforts in good faith.
