China and Ghana Celebrate 65 Years of Unbreakable Friendship
July 5, 2025, marks a significant milestone: 65 years since China and Ghana established diplomatic ties, just days after Ghana became a republic. From humble beginnings, these two nations have forged a strong and enduring partnership that shines as a beacon of Asia-Africa solidarity.
Despite the vast distances separating them, China and Ghana have shared people-to-people connections dating back before they became republics. In the 1940s, Chinese people, mainly from Hong Kong, journeyed across continents to live and work in Ghana—a remarkable feat that highlights the early bonds between the two countries.
Ghana played a pivotal role in supporting China’s inclusion in the United Nations. In 1971, former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, then Deputy Foreign Minister, cast a crucial vote in favor of Resolution 2758, demonstrating the deep and lasting friendship between the two nations.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as China embraced reform and opening-up policies and Ghana pursued pro-market programs, their economic relationship flourished. Notable investments include the National Theatre in Accra, built by China in 1992 as a symbol of their friendship. China also provided technical support and financial assistance, including a $25 million debt relief.
Entering the new millennium, China’s support for Ghana escalated, especially in infrastructure projects such as roads, dams, energy, and telecommunications. Landmark projects like the Bui Dam, the National Communication Backbone, and the E-Government Project were launched, strengthening ties as both countries exchanged high-level visits. Ghana signed multi-billion-dollar agreements with the China Development Bank and the China Exim Bank, further boosting economic collaboration.
Bilateral trade has soared, breaking the $2 billion mark in 2010 and reaching $5.4 billion just two years later. By 2024, trade between China and Ghana hit a record $11.84 billion. Ghana imports machinery, electronics, textiles, and construction materials from China, while exporting gold, cocoa, oil, and other goods. Cultural and educational exchanges have also flourished, with three Confucius Institutes established in Ghana and numerous scholarships offered to Ghanaian students.
Ghana’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the annual celebrations of Chinese cultural events like the Lantern Festival underscore the deepening cultural ties. In a significant move to strengthen economic relations, China offered Ghana zero percent tariffs on all its exports, as part of a broader preferential trade policy benefiting 53 African nations. This initiative, announced during the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, grants African countries enhanced access to China’s vast market.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with trade volume reaching a record $293.2 billion in the previous year. The China-Ghana relationship exemplifies the importance of Asia-Africa cooperation in driving global development. As the saying goes, there is no modernization without African modernization.
Looking ahead, if the current pace of economic collaboration continues, by the time the China-Ghana relationship reaches its 100th anniversary, both nations—and indeed both continents—will stride confidently into a future of shared progress and prosperity.
