Ambassador Muhamed Gusao Bala is former Nigeria Consul General to Hong Kong, in this interview with Bright Osasuyi, our Correspondent in Abuja, he speaks on the need to deepen Nigeria China relationship, his tour of duty in Hong Kong and other issues.
Quetion:
What is your impression of Hong Kong as former consul-general of Nigeria in Hong Kong?
Answer:
I stayed in Hong Kong for two years only and these were years of learning much more than I have experienced elsewhere. It was my first contact with ‘One country, two systems’ being practiced. Earlier on before I traveled, I thought it was something very impossible to harmonize when you have a communist system and capitalist system but during weeks of stay in Hong Kong, I discovered that if there is will, anything is possible. What I think about current happenings in Hong Kong is that maybe, the younger generation is not much aware of its history but the older generation which came through thick and thin is very much aware of the situation in Hong Kong. China recognizes the importance of Hong Kong as an ‘Island of Prosperity’ therefore the younger ones should begin to align themselves with the system of Hong Kong. Every country has its own system and for it to work, there should be cooperation and understanding and for Hong Kong issues, education and enlightenment of the younger ones in Hong Kong is key. I say Education and Enlightenment because even though Hong Kong is high in level of education, there has to be enlightenment of the younger ones to avoid them being brainwashed by fallacies.
Question:
What is the root cause of Hong Kong Problems?
Answer:
The root cause of Hong Kong problems is the misunderstanding between the younger generation and older generation as I earlier said.
Question: Do you think other countries want to interfere with the Internal Affairs of China?
Answer:
Well I cannot say yes because I have not seen it myself but going by what I have read in the media, then I think there are some elements of interference but the truth is that once the younger generation realize that if they destroy Hong Kong, no foreigner will repair it for them then they will act to keep it in good shape.
Questjon:
What do you think of the National Security Law recently passed by China’s Central government?
Answer:
I am not very conversant with the National security law because I had already left China when the law was enacted.
Question:
Recently, many western countries led by the U.S have made bad remarks about the National Security Law for Hong Kong. What do you think is the reason for these actions by the U.S and the Western countries at large?
Answer:
There is a popular saying that there can be no two masters in a system, of which the United States sees itself as sole superpower which they are and have been for almost 50 years since the fall of the Soviet empire. So, for such a nation to see another emerging power, it is just human nature for U.S to resent it so this is not surprising if the U.S is interfering as you said, since China to them is now seen as a competitor.
Question:
What actions should the Chinese government take to deal with the actions of the U.S and the Western countries in general?
Answer:
China should also come out powerfully to enlighten the world about what is happening in China. China should tell the world its own story. I am very happy with what Chinese press is actually doing because there is this particular channel I watch on Digital Satellite Television, DSTV where the Chinese media comes out to tell the world about occurrences in China. Why I am more gladdened by the Chinese media is that they do not tarnish the image of other countries, but only project the situation of things in China as it breaks. It is now left to the individuals listening or watching to deduce meanings and find out which information being spread by the Chinese and U.S is true. I would advise China to go all out and make sure they have much reach to inform the world about the events in China.
Question:
How would you evaluate China’s effort in the fight against COVID-19?
Answer:
To be sincere, no one can fault China because the first day the virus was mentioned was the very day the Chinese government went all out in its fight against COVID-19. I can remember that a COVID-19 hospital was built within a very short time and the whole of Wuhan area was contained within a short time. China’s population is very large and if prompt actions were not taken, COVID-19 would have been a greater problem to the world than it currently is. Not only that, China began to send medicaments and auxiliary doctors to almost everywhere. I can remember that Nigeria benefited from the auxiliary medical doctors and medical facilities being sent to us and I am sure such assistance was also sent to as many countries that required them. I am very much thankful to China, especially for its prompt action to fight the virus otherwise the story would have been completely different.
Que: On June17, 2020 there was a special summit between China and African countries in which President Xi Jinping promised to support African countries to fight COVID-19 by setting up centers for disease control and hospitals in Africa. How do you rate the action of China in supporting Africa in a time of pandemic?
I am no longer in the government as consul-general and the system has changed. The only way to go about supporting Nigeria and Africa, as a whole is to communicate through our embassies in China. We have consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong being manned by foreign service personnel so whatever assistance China is willing to offer to Nigeria is better being taken bilaterally since we have embassies.
Question :
What other cooperation should China and Nigeria take to help reduce the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Answer:
Already we have started this cooperation for long and Nigeria in particular has received loans and grants from China to help its economy. One assistance I would want from China is to encourage more scholarships for Nigerians to study Sciences, Languages and other disciplines in China as well as Chinese students coming to Nigeria to study. That way we can both learn each other’s cultures and share from the technology of both countries’ education. The Chinese government should also maintain the symbiotic relationship with Nigeria which shares a lot in common with China in terms of population, size, and lots more. If we can harmonize ourselves then we can achieve a lot more together.
Question:
What interesting events happened to you and your family during your stay in China?
Answer:
There are so many memorable events of China that I cannot mention all of but to give an insight, there was a time the foreign ministry in Hong Kong organized a trip to China for Head of Consulates which I was part of and amongst us was a special representative of China in Hong Kong. During this trip, we were taken throughout lengths and breadths of China for two weeks. One thing I came to appreciate is the hospitality of Chinese citizens such that we became so occupied with events that made us really enjoy our trip. I had read a lot about China but the firsthand experience gained through that trip was overwhelming. I went to Hong Kong as consul-general in 2017 and even though I have returned to Nigeria, because of the hospitality of Chinese, I was comfortable leaving my daughter behind to study in Changsha Medical university and she is enjoying her stay there.
