China maintains top trading partner status with Ghana – Ambassador

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has reaffirmed China’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing strategic partnership with Ghana, describing 2025 as a historic milestone in bilateral relations.

Speaking at the Ghana–China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA) End-of-Year Soiree in Accra, held under the theme “2026 Ghana–China Year of People-to-People Exchanges,” Ambassador Tong highlighted several key milestones in 2025, including the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the 25th anniversary of GHACHIFA, the commencement of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, and the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan.

“These developments have deepened cooperation and produced rich fruits across multiple sectors,” he said, recalling the enduring friendship forged by founding leaders such as Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He commended GHACHIFA for 25 years of active contributions to bilateral friendship through economic, cultural, and educational initiatives.

Ambassador Tong noted that China remains Ghana’s largest trading partner and a major investor, with bilateral trade reaching US$11.8 billion in 2024, marking a 7.1% increase from the previous year. He highlighted the presence of thousands of Chinese companies in Ghana, contributing to employment and industrial development.

He further emphasised that cooperation had been strengthened following President Mahama’s State Visit to China in October 2025, where he met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. “Both sides agreed on a development blueprint and achieved consensus on the Early Harvest Arrangements under the Economic Partnership for Shared Development,” he said. He also noted that Ghana will be among the first African countries to benefit from China’s zero-tariff policy covering all tariff lines.

Benjamin Anyagre, General Secretary of GHACHIFA, echoed the Ambassador’s remarks, stressing that Ghana’s partnership with China is grounded in mutual trust, shared values, and a vision for collective progress. He noted that, despite challenges in 2025, GHACHIFA successfully launched activities marking the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between the two nations.

Anyagre highlighted that Ghana–China cooperation has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership, yielding tangible benefits in infrastructure development, including transport networks, industrial parks, logistics hubs, ports, railways, and communication systems. Cooperation also spans education, culture, tourism, sports, science and technology, green development, and social welfare.

He further pointed to initiatives such as the Ghana–China Youth Cultural Forum, the Future Leaders’ Dialogue, innovation competitions, study exchanges, and youth space collaborations, which have provided opportunities for Ghanaian youth, women, researchers, and media practitioners to engage with China. Cultural exchanges through tourism, film, publishing, sports, and the creative arts, he added, continue to strengthen mutual understanding.

“The partnership also supports health, poverty alleviation, public welfare, disability inclusion, and the expansion of sister-city relationships,” Anyagre said. He proposed the creation of a Ghana–China Cooperation and Development Forum to drive initiatives such as Female Leadership Training, Women’s Entrepreneurship and Empowerment programs, and Youth Innovation schemes.

Tang Hong, President of the Ghana Association of Chinese Societies, highlighted the deep-rooted relations between Ghana and China, describing 2025 as a landmark year. He recalled that Chinese communities had settled in Ghana as early as the 1940s and praised Ghana’s support for China’s reinstatement to the United Nations.

Tang emphasised the role of GHACHIFA and the Ghana Association of Chinese Societies in promoting people-to-people engagement through cultural dialogues, business forums, and youth programs, noting that the friendship between the two countries extends beyond diplomacy and is firmly rooted within communities. He also highlighted humanitarian interventions by the Chinese community in response to local challenges in Ghana.