Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has met with the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Tong Defa, to deepen cooperation on road infrastructure development and explore new areas of collaboration.
The meeting, which took place on Thursday, focused on assessing the progress of ongoing road projects involving Chinese firms and identifying ways to enhance efficiency and quality in road construction.
A statement from the ministry, shared on its official Facebook page on Friday, February 14, indicated that both parties discussed future partnerships, including the development of smart highways, the adoption of innovative construction technologies, and sustainable maintenance strategies for Ghana’s road network.
The engagement signals Ghana’s continued commitment to strengthening international partnerships in the road sector. Improved road infrastructure is expected to boost economic growth by enhancing connectivity, facilitating trade, and improving transportation efficiency across the country.
This collaboration with China is seen as a crucial step toward building a more advanced and resilient road network in Ghana.
Ghana-China trade to hit a record-high level of US$10.2 billion in 2022, up from US$6.67 billion in 2017.
More crucially, Ghana’s exports to China surged by 60% last year, according to the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Lu Kun.
During the commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Accra, the ambassador revealed that collaboration and alliances between China and Ghana are yielding concrete advantages for both nations.
“Since this year, China-Ghana cooperation has yielded fruitful results, delivering tangible benefits to the Ghanaian people. In March, construction began on a China-aided annex building for the foreign affairs ministry in Accra. In May, China joined the official creditor committee for Ghana as co-chair and helped Ghana secure the IMF US$3 billion deal in record time.
“In June, construction began on a China-aided military building. In July, the 43rd fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy visited Ghana. The Embassy donated relief items to flood victims in the Volta Region and a Chinese medical team in Ghana provided free clinical services. In August, the China Visa Application Centre in Accra officially opened. Therefore, China will remain Ghana’s largest trading partner and major foreign investments source for years to come,” he stated.
Dependable partner in socio-economic development
As a guest speaker at the occasion, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta hailed China for its ongoing contributions to Ghana’s socioeconomic development.
‘Let me indeed extend our sincerest appreciation to China for the strong show of support demonstrated in helping Ghana secure the US$3billion extended credit facility from the International Monetary Fund,” he stated.
China stands as Ghana’s foremost trading partner and the primary contributor to recent foreign direct investments. Mr. Ofori-Atta emphasized that the Ghanaian government remains committed to creating a favorable environment that facilitates the activities of Chinese companies within the nation and aims to attract additional investments from China.
New opportunities to deepen trade
While recognizing the two countries’ excellent trade ties, the finance minister emphasized the significance of achieving a balanced trade and investment partnership between the two countries.
In this regard, he has recommended the investigation of new economic routes to promote continuing growth and the enhancement of the two countries’ commercial partnership.
“We believe that by fostering a win-win cooperation with the People’s Republic of China, Ghana will have a greater chance of realising its developmental objectives,” he stated.
Trade in 2023
As of June 2023, China’s exports to Ghana amounted to a total of US$747 million, while its imports from Ghana reached US$183 million. This resulted in a positive trade balance of US$563 million for the Asian giant, as reported by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), a leading tool for visualizing international trade data.
China’s primary exports to Ghana in June 2023 included coated flat-rolled iron (valued at US$32.4 million), pesticides (US$29.5 million), rubber footwear (US$17.6 million), large construction vehicles (US$15.4 million), and motorcycles and bicycles (US$14.8 million).
Conversely, the top imports from Ghana to China during the same period were dominated by crude petroleum (valued at US$159 million), manganese ore (US$49.7 million), sawn wood (US$1.44 million), cocoa paste (US$1.16 million), and rough wood (US$1.09 million).
However, according to OEC data, China’s exports saw a decline of US$158 million (-17.5 percent), dropping from US$905 million to US$747 million between June 2022 and June 2023. Imports also experienced a decrease of US$123 million (-40.2 percent), decreasing from US$307 million to US$183 million during the same period.
Ghana’s largest trading partner is China, and it remains a significant source of foreign investment, as stated by the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Lu Kun.
Bilateral trade volume reached an unprecedented high of US$10 Billion, increasing by 7.3 per cent year-on-year.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years.
During the donation of relief items to flood disaster victims in the Volta region, Ambassador Lu Kun highlighted China’s commitment to improving Ghana’s economy and the well-being of its people.
He mentioned various efforts and activities, including China’s involvement in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrangement, investment in various sectors, and support for infrastructure projects.
Ghana was among the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, China was quick to provide medical supplies to Africa, with Ghana as one of the recipients.
China and Africa have long-standing ties, supporting each other’s national independence and development.
Mr. Stephen Ayensu Ntim, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), acknowledged the strong ties between Ghana and China, strengthened by the NPP-Communist Party alliance for progress.
Built on mutual trust for development, bilateral trade volume between Ghana and China peaked at US$9.57billion in 2021 from US$6.67billion in 2017, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Lu Kun has disclosed.
Representing a 12 per cent year-on-year increase, China’s direct investment also increased by US$15 million, making Ghana, China’s largest trading partner in Africa.
The Chinese Ambassador disclosed this at a durbar to commission a 22-km Cape Coast inner city road infrastructure funded by the Chinese government through the Sinohydro agreement.
He attributed the steady rise in trade and investments to the strong demand for Chinese products by Ghanaians as well as measures put in place by both countries to leverage the long-standing relations.
The Vice-President, Dr Mohamudu Bawumia, together with Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, Roads and Highways Minister joined the chiefs of the Area to commission the road project aimed at expanding access to ease traffic and accelerate development.
Elated by the increasing trade volumes between China and Ghana, the Ambassador said: “These are not just numbers, but a symbol of China-Ghana friendship we value and cherish.”
“The China-Ghana ties have been kept on a sound momentum of high-level bilateral exchanges and ever-increasing trust built on mutual strong conviction for development.
“The decades of solid relations remain a springboard for a win-win China-Ghana cooperation hinged on consolidating bilateral traditional friendship, deepening pragmatic cooperation, and broad consensus building on issues of mutual concern,” he stated.
The Chinese Ambassador indicated that China and Ghana have always supported each other on issues concerning their core and major interests, keeping close cooperation in the international and regional arena and thus safeguarding the relationship.
Through that, Mr Kun said the Chinese government had financed, partnered, and executed several critical national projects relating to the economic growth and the livelihood of people in Ghana.
Key among them are the National Theatre, office complexes of the Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho and the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
Others are the Atuabo Gas Processing Project, Bui Dam, and Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project, Asogli Power Plant, and Africa World Airline (AWA) which have played a key role in resolving the power shortage and promoting the interconnection of the sub-region.
Lately, the Chinese equipment and technologies have accelerated the pace of integration with local enterprises and capital, bringing into being several local star enterprises and adding fuel to the enthusiasm for Ghana’s cooperation with China.
On people-to-people exchanges, he said cultural exchanges were close and ever-increasing on mutual understanding, as wood sculpture, music, and dance, among other forms of tourists, enjoyed high popularity among Chinese tourists.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan said the completion of roads was key to the region’s investment drive to become the preferred investment destination in the country.
She said the Region remained the most preferred destination in Ghana’s quest to continuously attract investment from the Diaspora.
China is now the biggest investor in Ghana with investments creating about 100,000 jobs for Ghanaian citizens with trade volumes exceeding $7.40 billion.
This was disclosed by the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Shi Ting Wang, who paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, on Friday, 5 June 2020.
“Now, we are the biggest investor in Ghana and our investment created about 100,000 jobs for the local people in addition to the government projects, the private investment to Ghana is also very strong. There are about 10 big private investor factories which were officially launched in the past two years, mainly in the manufacturing industry. Certainly, if we are talking about our people to people exchanges, we are also very proud of that. In the past two years, China has offered about six hundred full scholarships to Ghana and about 2000 short term training opportunities to Ghana,†he stated.
The ambassador attributed the development to increasing cooperation and partnership between Ghana and the Chinese government.
“We are the number one trade partners. Last year, the trade volume was $7.4 billion, ranking the seventh in the whole of Africa and in the past two years, there are so many projects rolling out between our two countries,†Mr Wang said.
The Chinese ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, has been found dead in his home north of Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli foreign ministry and police.
No cause of death was given, and Israeli police on Sunday said it had opened an investigation.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that Du was found in the early morning by the envoy’s staff in his home in Herzliya.
He said police were at the scene investigating the circumstances surrounding Du’s death.
Media reports said according to an initial assessment, Du appears to have died of a cardiac arrest, but there was no official confirmation.
Yuval Rotem, Israel’s director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he spoke with China’s deputy ambassador to express condolences and pledged to “help the Chinese embassy with anything they may need along the way”, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Du had arrived in Israel in February. He had previously served as China’s envoy to Ukraine, according to the embassy’s website.
He is survived by a wife and son, both of whom were not in Israel.
Israel enjoys good relations with China.
The ambassador’s death comes just two days after he condemned comments by visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced Chinese investments in Israel and accused China of hiding information about the coronavirus pandemic.
