1. Bilateral political relations
The People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations
with the Republic of Ghana on July 5, 1960. In September 1966, the
Ghana government coming to power through coup d'état severed
unilaterally the diplomatic relations with China. Later in January
1972, the government with I. K. Acheampong at the head restored, of
its own accord, the diplomatic relations with China and afterward
the relations between the two countries saw a smooth
development.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations Chinese leaders
and officials who visited Ghana mainly include: Premier Zhou Enlai
and Vice Premier and concurrently Foreign Minister Chen Yi (January
1964); Vice Premier Geng Biao (October 1978); Vice Premier and
concurrently Foreign Minister Huang Hua (December 1981); Vice
Premier Li Peng (October 1986); State Councilor and concurrently
Foreign Minister Qian Qichen (January 1992); Chen Muhua, vice
chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress (NPC) and concurrently chairwoman of All-China Women's
Federation (April 1996); Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (June 1998);
Vice President Hu Jintao (January 1999); State Councilor Wu Yi
(January 2000); Xu Jialu, vice chairman of the NPC Standing
Committee (May 2001); Vice Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang (June
2002); and Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo (March 2004),
etc.
Leaders and officials who visited China from Ghana mainly
include: President Kwame Nkrumah (August 1961, February 1966); Head
of the State and President Jerry John Rawlings (September 1985,
December 1995); P. V. Obeng, prime minister and president of
ministers' council (October 1989); Daniel Francis Annan, speaker of
the National Assembly (April 1996); Kojo Tsikata, state security
counselor and concurrently member of the state council (September
1997); Foreign Minister James Victor Gbeho (January 2000); Vice
President John Evans Atta Mills (July 2000); Peter Ala Adjetey,
speaker of the National Assembly (August 2002); and President John
Agyekum Kufuor (October 2002), etc.
In October 2000, Foreign Minister James Victor Gbeho and Dan
Abodakpi, minister of trade and industry attended the Beijing
Ministerial Meeting 2000 of China-Africa Cooperation Forum.
2. Bilateral economy and trade relations and economic
and technological cooperation
China and Ghana signed agreement of economic and technological
cooperation and trade agreement. The Chinese side has aided Ghana
in the construction of a national theater, Afefi Irrigation
Project, vocational training center, Dangme East District Hospital,
the complete sets of project, providing Ghana with cotton-textile
machineries, methane-gas equipment and also carried out the
technical cooperation project for Nobewam Farmland Irrigation
Project and for national theater, etc.
In 2005, the trade value of China and Ghana came to US$769
million, of which the Chinese export made up US$673 million while
the import was US96 million. The main exporting products from China
are: light industry products, textile goods, mechanic and electric
equipment, medical and chemical materials and so on, while the
imports include: timber pieces, cocoa beans and natural rubber,
etc.
The mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Ghana was
started in 1983 and up to the end of 2004 the total value of the
contracts signed by the Chinese companies for workforce
undertakings reached US$390 million. The projects undertaken
include: bank building, woolen-sweater mill, school buildings and
water-supply project, etc. So far the Chinese companies registered
in Ghana consist of China Building Engineering Corporation, China
Hydraulic Engineering and Power Company for Foreign Business, China
Telecommunication Construction Corporation, Guangzhou International
Company and Shaanxi Building Engineering Corporation, a total of
over 10 companies.
3. Cooperation in the fields of culture, education
military affairs
China and Ghana signed agreement for cultural cooperation.
Starting from 1960, China began to accept students from Ghana to
study. Up to now there are a total of 31 Ghana students studying in
China and China sent two teachers to do teaching work in Ghana
University.
There is a better relationship of the two armies between China
and Ghana with the increase of exchanges during recent years. In
1997, E. K. T. Donkoh, Ghana minister of national defense, visited
China. In June 1998, a military delegation headed by General Fang
Zuqi, political commissar of Nanjing Military Zone, paid a friendly
visit to Ghana and in August that year Ghana Army-Commander Major
General J. H. Smith visited China. In June 2000, E. K. T. Donkoh
visited China again.
4. Important bilateral agreement and
document
Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of the Diplomatic
Relations Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic
of Ghana (July 1960)
(Chinese Foreign Ministry June 14, 2006)
