China to partner Ghana in pro-poor policy

23/09/09

Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Chinese government has offered to collaborate with its Ghanaian counterpart to promote education, health care and infrastructural development in the country.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe, who made the commitment, said China would deepen trade relations with Ghana, provide more aid and also bid in the oil exploration and refinery for mutual benefit.
He was speaking at a press conference yesterday at his residence in Accra to launch the 60th anniversary celebration of the People’s Republic of China, which falls on October 1.
Mr Wenzhe said both the Chinese and Ghanaian governments had several people-centred programmes in common in the areas of education, medical care and infrastructural development.
“Therefore, we are ready to step up our co-operation in the people-centred programmes and agree on how to proceed,” he said,
Mr Wenzhe congratulated the government on finding oil in commercial quantities, and indicated that China was interested in bidding for oil exploration and refinery.
Besides, he said, the Chinese government would encourage credible Chinese companies to work with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and other business entities on oil exploration, refinery and other related areas.
Mr Wenzhe gave the assurance that despite the global economic downturn, “China will continue to provide financial assistance to Ghana to the best of its ability.”
For instance, he said, China would continue to support the Bui Dam Project to ensure its completion on schedule.
The Chinese Ambassador said China and Ghana had enjoyed good relations on the political and economic fronts over the last six decades, and reiterated China’s commitment to deepening the relations.
He said China’s total financial support to Ghana stood at $1.8 billion, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was $275 million, with private investors investing $380 million.
Mr Wenzhe mentioned the National Theatre, the office of the Ministry of Defence and the Bui Dam Project as some of the landmark achievements of China in Ghana.
Besides, he said, China had built 40 government schools, three model schools, a number of youth centres and offered 200 short training courses and scholarships yearly.
Mr Wenzhe urged Chinese enterprises and citizens in Ghana (numbering about 10,000) to abide by the laws of Ghana “and live in peace and harmony with the local people”.
He said any incident involving Chinese nationals should be dealt with according to the law and the evidence available.
Touching on China-Africa relations, the Chinese Ambassador said China had enjoyed excellent relations with Africa over the decades, which centred on mutual respect and benefit.
He said economic trade relations between China and Africa stood at $1 billion in 2001 and rose to $100 billion in 2008.
On China’s development, Mr Wenzhe described China as a strong and weak economy because of its large population of 1.3 billion.
He said although China was ranked third in terms of military might and third in trade, its per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was “very small”.
Mr Wenzhe explained that China had made great strides in terms of development with cities like Beijing and other coastal areas seeing massive development. However, he said, the western parts of China were not well developed.
He said the government of China was trying to provide adequate food, education, health care and infrastructure to the poor people of China.
Mr Wenzhe described 2009 as a year of a “double happenings” between Ghana and China as it marked the centenary celebration of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and 60th anniversary of China. He said the people of China held Nkrumah in high regard for his support to Africa.