by Justice Lee Adoboe
ACCRA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The year 2025 marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ghana and China, with both sides taking concrete steps throughout the year to deepen cooperation and deliver tangible results.
FRUITFUL BILATERAL RELATIONS
Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Hao Mingjin attended the inauguration of Ghana's newly elected president, John Dramani Mahama, on Jan. 7.
During their meeting, Hao conveyed Xi's congratulations to Mahama and reaffirmed China's commitment to fostering China-Ghana relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.
China is ready to take this opportunity to enhance communication with Ghana within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with a view to elevating the bilateral strategic partnership to new heights, Hao said.
Mahama, on his part, praised the impressive achievements in Ghana-China relations and reaffirmed his government's commitment to expanding pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields.
In October, Mahama participated in the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in China's Beijing. In a pre-departure interview, he noted that over the past 65 years, the two countries have carried out fruitful cooperation in fields such as agriculture and infrastructure development, significantly enhancing Ghana's productivity.
"Ghana sees China as a partner," Mahama said. "We cherish our friendship and solidarity with China, and after 65 years of cooperation, we believe our partnership will reach new heights."
He identified five priority areas for expanded cooperation with China, namely infrastructure development, agriculture and agro-processing, textiles and apparel, digitalization and innovation, and energy, describing them as "the core direction of our expanded partnership with China."
"I am hopeful that Ghana will strengthen cooperation with China in trade, the digital economy, infrastructure construction, energy, mining, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges," he said.
RISING TRADE VOLUME
China remains Ghana's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade reached 11.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up 7.1 percent year on year, according to the Chinese Embassy in Ghana.
In June, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare led a government delegation to Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, for the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the FOCAC ahead of the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.
Speaking at a dialogue during the expo, Ofosu-Adjare called for more strategic Chinese investments in Ghana under the BRI to drive Ghana's industrial growth. She noted that Chinese companies such as Zonda Sinotruk, Sentuo, Sunon Asogli, and Huawei have become household names in the country.
She also urged Chinese investors to leverage opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area to increase investment across the continent.
"Let us move beyond traditional trade relationships and embrace transformational partnerships, ones that promote technology exchange, sustainable industrial practices, and globally competitive African enterprises," she said.
Addressing an annual event organized by the Ghana-China Friendship Association in December, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Tong Defa said that Ghana would be among the first countries to benefit from the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines China offered to African countries that have diplomatic relations.
ENHANCED PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGE
In early December, Ghanaian educational authorities approved an official Chinese language teaching curriculum for schools nationwide, an act expected to further boost interest in learning Chinese.
Vincent Assanful, chairman of the Governing Board of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, said during the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast that the curriculum is tailored to suit Ghana's local context without losing its originality.
This, according to the official, would address critical needs to formalize Chinese language study within Ghana's basic education system, as China is a global economic force and a key development partner for Ghana.
Since the first Confucius Institute was established at the University of Ghana in 2013, two more centers have opened at the University of Cape Coast in 2016 and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi in 2023.
According to the Chinese ambassador, more than 10,000 Ghanaian students have studied the Chinese language through the Confucius Institute programs in the three Ghanaian universities.
Tong added that the 14th batch of the Chinese medical team is delivering healthcare services in Ghana, sharing Chinese medical expertise and earning widespread recognition across the West African country. ■
