China remains Ghana’s largest trading partner - Ambassador Lu Kun

China remains Ghana’s largest trading partner and a major foreign investment source, says Lu Kun, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana.

He said bilateral trade volume reached an unprecedented high of US$10 Billion, increasing by 7.3 per cent year-on-year.

He disclosed that China had been Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years.

Ambassador Lu Kun said these during the donation of relief items worth US$ 50,000 to the flood disaster victims at Ho in the Volta region.

He said the Chinese government had been devoted to the improvement of Ghana’s economy and the well-being of Ghanaians.

Recounting some efforts and activities, he said, last May for instance, China joined the official Creditor Committee of Ghana as the co-chair and facilitated moves for the country to secure the US$ 3 Billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) in record time.

Again, the China-invested airline company, power plant, steel company, ceramic company and cement factory had assisted to create jobs and boost industrialisation in line with the One-District-One Factory (1D1F) initiative.

He also said China aided polytechnics, Technical and Vocational Training Centres upgrading project, commissioned with Jamestown Fishing port and the Annex building of the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration forging ahead steadily.

He cited China’s active involvement in the Five Infrastructure project under the master project Support Agreement between the Ghanaian government and Synohydro.

Mr Lu Kun said Ghana was among the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1960 and voting in favour of the restoration of the lawful seat of the Peoples Republic of China in the United Nations in 1971.

Again, during the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the first to send chartered flight of medical supplies to Africa with Ghana as its first leg, adding that his country had offered aid to 53 African countries, assisting more than 1,000 set projects with no political strings attached, he said.

Furthermore, the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in 2000 with China’s trade and investment in the continent in the last two decades increasing by 20-fold and 100-fold respectively was a testament of its commitment to the wellbeing of people, he said.

Ambassador Lu Kun said China and Africa enjoyed long-standing ties with similar historical experiences, “we always support each other in striving for national independence and development.”

Stephen Ayensu Ntim, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said the ties between Ghana and China had come to stay and was being strengthened by the NPP- Communist Party alliance for progress.