Relationship between Ghana, China fruitful — Outgoing Chinese Ambassador

The outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Lu Kun, has said that the relationship between the two countries has witnessed steady development.

He said the existing cooperation over the past three years had achieved fruitful outcomes, with China remaining Ghana’s largest partner and major foreign investment source culminating in some $11 billion worth of trade in 2023.

Mr Kun was speaking during a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House to bid him farewell after three-and-a-half years’ duty tour of the country.

He also described the mutual trust and strong leadership of President Akufo-Addo and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in the relationship between the two countries as very encouraging.

Mr Lu said China recognised Ghana’s active support in the areas of human rights, UN Resolutions and elections of international organisations and how the two countries had stood by each other during the difficult years of COVID-19.

Support

The outgoing ambassador further said that since Ghana’s debt challenges, his country had played a lead role as Co-Chair of the Official Creditors’ Committee for Ghana’s creditors and urged all parties to bridge their differences.

He said some of the measures taken had led to the successful signing of an MoU on Ghana’s debt treatment which paved the way for the IMF and the World Bank to approve disbursement to Ghana.

Mr Lu extended an invitation letter to President Akufo-Addo and the First Lady for the 2024 China Africa Cooperation Summit to be held in Beijing.

Commendation

President Akufo-Addo commended the outgoing ambassador, describing him as a successful and productive envoy to Ghana whose tenure was marked with some developments in the country.

“There is a great feeling of sadness in having to say goodbye to you. I know that this is the nature of your work as a diplomat, Hello and Goodbye,” he said. President Akufo-Addo said Ghana first established diplomatic relations with China in 1960, describing the relationship between the two countries as good.

“And in the last few years, I can say with confidence that our relationship has moved to a higher level and a lot had to do with you”.

“I want to put on record the gratitude of our country for your efforts within the Official Creditors’ Committee, the IMF, and the work that had been done in that committee to assist Ghana’s recovery.

“I know that your intervention and that of the Chinese government in the work of the committee of which you are the co-chair has been extremely beneficial to us,” he added.