Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is in China for the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.
At the meeting, Wang, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, recalled that China and Ghana established a strategic partnership last year, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. China stands ready to work with Ghana to deepen practical cooperation across various fields, advance the cause of China-Africa friendship, and uphold multilateralism in opposition to unilateralism.
Wang also highlighted the congratulatory letter sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Changsha meeting in the day, in which Xi promised that China will implement zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines for 53 African countries having established diplomatic relations with China, showing solidarity and friendship between China and Africa.
Ablakwa said as China has become Ghana's largest trading partner, Ghana looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in various fields, and will continue to adhere to the one-China principle and consolidate the strong partnership between the two countries.
Chinese foreign minister meets Ghanaian counterpart on relations
Officials from the European Union (EU) and Finland have voiced concerns after the White House said it has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including the use of the military.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a press briefing in Cairo on Thursday that the message from the U.S. is "extremely concerning," and "not really helping the stability of the world."
Kallas called on all parties to stick to international law, adding that relevant response measures has been discussed among EU members.
"The international law is very clear, and we have to stick to it. It is clear that it is the only thing that protects smaller countries, and that is why it is in the interest of all of us. And we discussed this today, as well, that we uphold the international law on all levels," she said.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday described recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Greenland as "worrying," while reiterating Finland's support for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination.
"Finland and the other Nordic countries have exceptional expertise in Arctic conditions, and we are happy to make use of that together with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to strengthen Arctic security, but it cannot be done by threatening allies," she said at a press conference at Finnish parliament after an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was "unprecedented" for threats of violence to be made within NATO against another member in connection with seizing territory, adding that such threats run counter to the United Nations Charter and that their inconsistency with international law should be underscored at all levels.
EU, Finnish officials express concerns over US remarks on Greenland
