By H.E. Tong Defa, Ambassador of China to Ghana）
Today, 5th July, marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Ghana. Ghana is one of the earliest African countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. The traditional friendship between the two countries was jointly forged by the older generation of leaders such as Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai, and President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. In 1964, Premier Zhou proposed the Eight Principles for China’s Economic Aid and Technical Assistance to Other Countries during his visit to Ghana, which upholds the principle of equality and mutual benefit for common development without attaching any political conditions.
In 1971, Ghana’s Deputy Foreign Minister then and former President John Kufuor, on behalf of Ghana, voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, supporting the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations. The past six and half decades have witnessed stronger and closer relations between China and Ghana.
In the New Era, the two sides have deepened political mutual trust and maintained increasingly close high-level exchanges. On 5th September 2024, China and Ghana announced the elevation of China-Ghana relations to a strategic partnership, which charted the course for the development of bilateral relations. On 7th January 2025, President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Mr. Hao Mingjin attended the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama in Accra and met with President Mahama, conveying President Xi’s warm congratulations and best wishes to President Mahama. Hao is the first foreign dignitary received by President Mahama since assuming the presidency. On 11th June, 2025, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Changsha, China. They reached various consensus on carrying forward the time-honored friendship, firmly supporting each other, implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, and deepening pragmatic cooperation across all fields. Under guidance from high-level consensus, the two countries have maintained close communication and coordination in multilateral area such as the United Nations, jointly defending the common interests of the Global South. Ghana firmly supports the one-China principle and supports China in safeguarding its core interests, including national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China also supports Ghana’s adherence to the Pan-African tradition and its opposition to “neo-colonialism” and coercive hegemony.
In the New Era, China-Ghana practical cooperation has been steadily reinforced. China remains Ghana’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment. In 2024, bilateral trade reached an unprecedented high of 11.8 billion US Dollars, marking a year-on-year growth of 7.1%. Hundreds of Chinese enterprises have invested in sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, aviation, green energy and petroleum refining, creating substantial employment opportunities while advancing Ghana’s industrialization and safeguarding its energy security. Shenzhen Energy Group’s Sunon Asogli Power Plant generated 2.6 billion kWh in 2024, significantly alleviating Ghana’s industrial and residential electricity shortages. Africa World Airlines operated 12,000 domestic and international flights carrying 500,000 passengers yearly, whose service has significantly enhanced travel accessibility for people in Ghana and across West Africa. Shandong Gold Namdini Gold Mine greenfield project commissioned in November 2024, has injected strong economic vitality into Northern Ghana. This project stands as the latest demonstration of implementing the important consensus reached by our two heads of state and executing the “Ten Partnership Initiatives”. The 14th Chinese Medical Team from Guangdong Province is providing healthcare services at China-Ghana Friendship Hospital (Lekma Hospital), introducing Chinese medical experience and concepts to local doctors, and winning rave reviews from the local government and residents.
In the New Era, people-to-people exchanges have deepened the roots of bilateral friendship. As the ancient saying goes, “Friendship between nations lies in the affinity of their peoples.” The Chinese Embassy in Ghana has earnestly implemented the “Warm Children’s Hearts, A China-Africa Joint Action”, jointly launched by Professor Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping and the Organization of African First Ladies for Development. Together with Chinese enterprises and UN agencies in Ghana, the Chinese Embassy contributed to the Motherly Love Orphanage, raising substantial funds and supplies for more than 60 AIDS orphans. Chinese universities have established three Confucius Institutes in partnership with the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, enabling over ten thousand Ghanaian students to study Chinese language. A “Chinese language fever” has swept campuses. Students have consistently excelled in the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition, showcasing outstanding traditional Chinese culture across Ghana, vividly manifesting the Global Civilization Initiative in Africa.
Looking back, pragmatic cooperation between China and Ghana has yielded abundant results. Looking ahead, the fertile soil of friendship awaits the nurturing of new buds. I am confident that under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and President John Mahama, China and Ghana will keep original aspiration to the founding spirit of our diplomatic ties, uphold mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and work hand in hand to build an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era. Together, we will continuously enrich the connotations of the China-Ghana Strategic Partnership and jointly begin a new historical chapter of friendly cooperation in the New Era!
