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The Ghana exhibition area is packed with visitors during the 33rd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair on May 18, 2024 ./VCG
Editor's note: Ankit Prasad is a CGTN biz commentator. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.
July 5, 2025 marks the 65th anniversary of China and Ghana establishing diplomatic ties, an event that took place merely days after Ghana became a republic. Since then, from the shared humble beginnings of post-colonial developing nations, the relationship has solidified and evolved into a beacon of steady cooperation, booming trade, and frequent exchanges with positive prospects for Asia-Africa cohesiveness.
While they may be separated by a vast geographical distance, China and Ghana have had people-to-people links since even before their respective republic eras. Chinese, mainly from Hong Kong, are known to have lived and worked in Ghana since the 1940s, which is remarkable if you consider they'd have had to cross a large portion of the width of Asia and then again the width of Africa - the two largest continents - to get to their destination.
Ghana was also instrumental, along with 25 other African nations, in pushing for China's inclusion in the United Nations. As recounted by Ghanaian Ambassador Tong Defa in a recent article in the Ghana News Agency, John Kufuor, former president of Ghana, who was serving as deputy foreign minister in 1971, cast a valuable vote in favor of the Resolution 2758, fully demonstrating the unbreakable, long-standing, and ever-deepening friendship between China and Ghana.
People make lanterns during a Chinese Lantern Festival celebration in Accra, Ghana, Feb 9, 2025. /Xinhua
With the political groundwork laid in the 1960s, the 1970s and 1980s saw China initiate its reform and opening-up while Ghana embarked on pro-market programmes. Since then, the economic relationship has seen a vast increase, including a number of high-profile investments. Memorable among these is the magnificent National Theatre in Ghana's capital Accra, which was built by China in 1992 as a monument to the two nations' friendship. During the same period, China also assisted Ghana with technical support and loans, including a $25 million debt write-down.
Since the turn of the millennium as the countries pursued the goal of development, China's support to Ghana has escalated, particularly in the infrastructure domain, such as roads, dams, energy and telecommunications. The Bui dam and hydro-electric project, the first phase of the National Communication Backbone and E-Government Project, the Ofankor–Nsawam road, the office complex of Ghana's Ministry of Defence and other projects were launched, as both countries exchanged presidential visits. The Ghanaian government has signed multi-billion agreements with the China Development Bank and the China Exim Bank.
Bilateral trade similarly grew exponentially, breaking the $2 billion barrier for the first time in 2010 and then rising to $5.4 billion just two years later. This accompanied a stellar growth in China's continental trade with Africa which rose from $10.6 billion in 2000 to $106.8 billion in 2008. Cultural and educational ties have not been left out, with three Confucius institutes having been established in Ghana so far and the Chinese government providing Ghanaian students with scholarships.
An undated photo showing an outside view of the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra, Ghana. /CGTN
China has remained Ghana's largest trading partner for several years, with bilateral trade in 2024 standing at a record $11.84 billion. Ghana imports machinery, electronics, textiles and construction materials from China and exports gold, cocoa, oil and other goods. Ghana is also a member of the Belt and Road Initiative, while celebrations of Chinese cultural heritage such as the Lantern Festival have become an annual occurrence.
Importantly, at a time of global uncertainty due to unilateral tariff impositions, China has also offered Ghana zero percent tariffs on all its exports, as part of an expanded preferential trade policy for 53 African nations. The announcement, which grants African nations enhanced access to the vast Chinese market, was made as part of an initiative of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which is marking its 25th anniversary this year. As of 2024, China had been Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with last year's trade volume hitting a record $293.2 billion.
The China-Ghana relationship is thus emblematic of China's ties with the African continent, whose development is crucial to global progress. As is often said, there is no modernization without African modernization, and there is no greater symbolic support for this than the Chinese foreign minister's 35-year tradition of visiting Africa on the first overseas trip of the year. And at the pace at which economic cooperation is increasing, there is every chance that if this is kept up for another 35 years, by the time the China-Ghana relationship turns 100 years old, both nations as well as the Asian and African continents will stride confidently into a future of progress and development.