Based on the bilateral trade volume of $7.4 billion in 2019 alone, Ghana is now the seventh largest trading partner to the People’s Republic of China on the African Continent.
China has become one of Ghana’s biggest source of foreign investments and provider of human resource training with more than 6,500 Ghanaian students being admitted to Universities in China.
Mr Zhu Jing, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Accra, making the assertions at the launch of Commemorative Stamps for the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Ghana, expressed delight in the strong diplomatic ties developed between both countries.
He said in the past 60 years, relations between China and Ghana have grown from strength to strength under the strong leadership of successive leaders of the two countries.
Mr Jing noted that China is pleased to see close high-level exchange in recent years, particularly the state visit to China by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in September 2018, and the successful visit to Ghana by Vice Premier Sun Chunlan of China in November 2019.
“The Chinese Embassy and Ghana Post have successfully co-designed and printed 10,000 sets of commemorative stamps as one of the serial celebrations for the anniversary,” Mr. Jing said.
He said besides the big stamp there are four smaller stamps, each featured with the most symbolic development cooperation projects between China and Ghana over the past decade.
The first one is the Cape Coast Stadium which used to be the biggest grant project by the Chinese government in Ghana, with a contract amount of $33 million completed in January 2016 with facilities of 16,000 seats, 8 running tracks and a natural grass football yard.
The Cape Coast Stadium he noted, has become one of the sporting landmarks in Ghana.
The second stamp features the Bui Hydroelectric Project, it’s one of the largest energy projects in the history of the Republic of Ghana, producing 15 per cent -20 per cent of Ghana’s electricity and supported by a Chinese preferential loan.
The third and fourth stamps are the Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project and University of Health and Allied Science (UHAS) respectively.
“UHAS is a grant project with the first phase completed in 2015 and the second phase expected to take three times longer than the first phase, we aim to build it into one of the most beautiful and modern universities in Ghana,” Mr Jing stated.
“China over the years has devoted a lot in human resource development cooperation with Ghana. Every year, the Chinese government provides Ghanaians around one thousand fully-sponsored training opportunities in China, which we believe will further enhance mutual understanding and deepen our friendship,” he added.
