(Last Update: 2003/10/12)
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 afterwards 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: Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council and Chen Yi, Vice-premier and concurrently minister of foreign affairs (January 1964), Geng Biao, Vice-premier (October 1978), Huang Hua, Vice-premier and concurrently minister of foreign affairs (December 1981), Li Peng, Vice-premier (October 1986), Qian Qichen, Member of the State Council and concurrently minister of foreign affairs (January 1992), Chen Muhua, Vice-chairwoman of the NPC standing committee and concurrently chairwoman of all China Women's Federation (April 1996), Tang Jiaxuan, Minister of foreign Affairs (June 1998), Hu Jintao, Vice-president of the PRC (January 1999), Wu Yi, Member of the State Council (January 2000) and Xu Jialu, Vice-chairman of the NPC (May 2001), etc.
Leaders and officials who visited China from Ghana mainly include: Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana (August 1961, February 1966), Jerry John Rawlings, Head of the State, President (September 1985, December 1995), P. V. Obeng, Prime minister, 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), James Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs (January 2000), John Evans Atta Mills, Vice-president of Ghana (July 2000), Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of the National Assembly (August 2002), John Agyekum Kufuor, President of Ghana (October 2002), etc.
In October 2000, James Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dan Abodakpi, Minister of Trade and Industry attended the Beijing Ministerial Meeting 2000 of Sino-African Cooperation Forum" held in Beijing.
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 Ghanain the construction of a national theater, Afefi Irrigation Project, vocational training center, Dangme East District Hospital, the complete sets of project, providing Ghanawith 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 2002, the trade value of China and Ghana came to US$ 212.43 million, of which the Chinese export made up US$ 182.28 million while the import was US$ 30.15 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 2001 the contracts signed by the Chinese companies for workforce undertakings came to more than 200 items with the value to reach US$ 227.58 million. The projects undertaken one after another include: bank building, woolen-sweater mill, school buildings and water-supply project and so on. 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 here in this country. Up to now there are a total of 21 Ghana students studying in China and China sent 2 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 Defence visited China twice. 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, Ghana Minister of National Defence visited China.
4. Important bilateral agreement and document
In July 1960, the two countries signed the "Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Ghana".
(Source: fmprc.gov.cn)
