Ghana cherishes its relationship with China and is willing to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and other areas, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said in an interview with China Media Group which aired on Friday.
Mahama took the interview during his visit to China this October in Beijing, where he attended the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women and convened a presidential investment forum to introduce Ghanaian specialties, such as cocoa, nuts, coffee products, and handicrafts, to the Chinese market.
Noting that Ghana's friendly relations with China have a long history, Mahama stressed the need to add new dimensions to bilateral relations to adapt to the changing world and expressed interest in jointly practicing the initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, such as the Global Governance Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.
"I think it's an important milestone. Ghana was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with China after we gained independence in 1957. That relationship is one that we cherish, and 65 years in that relationship is an important milestone," Mahama said.
"We're celebrating this 65 year's anniversary in a world that is changing, [and] that is very different from when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and [China's] Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai existed. And so, we need to pivot that relation to look at the new global order. And that's why I'm supportive and very excited about the initiatives that President Xi is outlining," he said.
Prior to the interview, Xi met with Mahama at the Great Hall of the People, during which the Ghanaian president expressed hope that his country will strengthen cooperation with China in trade, digital economy, infrastructure construction, energy, mining, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Mahama underscored Ghana's firm support for multilateralism and its willingness to strengthen solidarity with like-minded countries, such as China.
"We discussed many areas. And one of the areas we discussed was trade between Ghana and China. The global order is changing, [and] countries are acting more unilaterally. And so, we believe that it is a time for countries that believe in multilateralism to actually show solidarity and come together," Mahama said.
Ghana cherishes friendship with China, seeks more bilateral cooperation: president
Officials and business leaders from both China and the United States gathered in Berkeley, California on Friday to discuss the future of trade and investment between China and the San Francisco Bay Area, with many hoping to overcome the recent strain brought by the Trump administration's tariffs.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade hosted a business breakfast exchange meeting on Friday morning, with the council's chairman Ren Hongbin sending out a clear message of the vast economic potential which is there to be tapped into.
"The Chinese economy is very much innovation driven. And the strategic emerging industries, such as new energy, new materials, low carbon, aerospace, bio-pharmacy and the low-altitude economy, will generate a trillion-yuan level or even larger markets. So, I think that will provide enormous opportunities and room for China and U.S. companies to cooperate," said Ren.
He further stressed the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing as an example of an event where San Francisco Bay Area companies like NVIDIA and Apple were active participants and direct beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin said that against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown, greater cooperation in the innovation sector is now more important than ever.
"The [San Francisco] Bay Area is home to many of the world's top tech companies and offers a sound innovation ecosystem. China has a super big market, rich application scenarios and a complete industrial supporting system. There exists tremendous potential for both sides to have more mutually beneficial cooperation by tapping into their complementary strengths," said Zhang.
Attendees did voice concerns over how the Trump administration's tariffs are impacting business.
With China accounting for nearly 30 percent of the Port of Oakland's total trade volume, the port's executive director Kristi McKenney stressed the need for greater stability and certainty.
"The tariffs in many cases were never actually implemented or were changed before they were implemented. So those linkages are a bit more challenging. I think the bigger issue will be certainty in the economy. And if there's lack of certainty, if we see economic difficulty, then you're going to see job losses," said McKenney.
Oakland's Mayor Barbara Lee said that it is very much business as usual, despite the recent difficulties.
"While we understand the challenges of tariffs, the exports and imports are still continuing, and our port is still a large containerized port doing business with China. And we're going to strengthen that relationship. We may have our differences on issues, on policies, but we here in Oakland understand that we're a global city and we believe the trade brings friendships, brings understanding, and also brings economic benefits to both countries," she said.
Chinese, US officials, business leaders meet in California to deepen mutual understanding
