ChinAfrica:WhatdoyouthinkwillbesomeoftheimportantoutcomesoftheFOCACBeijingSummitinSeptember?
WangShiting:WiththeFOCACBeijingSummitexpectedtobeheldinSeptember,thisisgoingtobeabigyearforChina-Africarelations.ItwillsurelypropelChina-Africarelationsandcooperationforwardinsyncwithourtimes.
TheFOCACBeijingSummitwillreinvigorateourjointeffortstobuildacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.TheoverarchingvisionofChina鈥檚diplomacyistobuildanewmodelofinternationalrelationsandacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.ChinaandAfricahavesharedwealandwoetogetherandseeourfutureasinterwoven.Atthesummit,thetwosideswillworkforanevenstrongerChina-Africacommunityforasharedfuturebylayingoutamasterplan,seekingtheguidanceofourleaders,buildingconsensusandcoordinatingouractions.
TheBeijingSummitwillalsocatalyzeourjointeffortstoadvancetheBeltandRoadInitiative.Thesummitprovidesanexcellentopportunitytoalignthisinitiativewiththe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment,AUAgenda2063andthedevelopmentplansofAfricancountries.ThesummitwillbringtogetherChinesecapital,technology,equipmentandtalentandAfrica鈥檚naturalresources,demographicdividendsandmarketpotential.Newmeasuresofcooperationareexpected[alongwith]measuresthatwilldelivermorewin-winresultstobothsides.
Africanleadershaverespondedenthusiasticallytotheinvitation,andmanyhaveconfirmedtheirparticipationincludingthepresidentofGhana.Wehavenodoubtthat,withcloseChina-Africacollaboration,theBeijingSummitwillgodowninhistoryasanothermilestoneinChina-Africarelations.Surely,thisisalsoagreatopportunityfortheChina-Ghanarelationshipanditwilldeeplystrengthentherelationshipbetweentwocountries.
ChinaistheleadinginvestorinGhanaintermsofnumberofprojects.HowdolocalGhanaiansbenefitfromtheseprojectsandwhatnewprojectsareinthepipelineforthenextyears?
TheBeltandRoadInitiativeofChina,whichencouragesChineseenterprisestoinvestoverseasandseekcooperationonindustrialcapacity,sharesthesameideawiththeOneDistrict,OneFactoryinitiativeoftheGhanaianGovernment.RightnowthemainareaofChineseinvestmentsincludesenergy,communicationandmanufacturing.TheseinvestmentshavebenefitedalargenumberofGhanaianpeople,providedahugeamountofjobs,sharedthetechnologiesandexperiencesofChina,aswellasmadecontributionstotheindustrializationofGhanabyimprovingthevaluechain.TheChineseenterprisesinGhanalikeTwyford(Ghana)CeramicsCo.Ltd.,SentuoSteelLtd.andWyncaSunshineAgricProductsandTradingCo.Ltd.providethousandsofjobstolocalpeopleandhelpGhanaspeedupitsindustrializationprocess.Agricultureisalsoanareaofgreatpotential.AsIknow,someChineseagriculturalcompaniesareseekinginvestmentopportunitiesinGhana.IfirmlybelievetheChineseinvestmentstoGhanawillkeepincreasinginthecomingyears,andthebilateralcooperationbetweenthetwocountrieshasapromisingfuture.
TherearemanyChinesebusinessesthrivinginGhana.WhatadvicedoyouhaveforGhanaianswhowishtodobusinessinChina?
ThebilateraltradebetweenChinaandGhanahasbeenincreasingvastlyinrecentyears.In2017,thevolumeofbilateraltradeachieved$6.68billion,withan11.69-percentgrowthyearonyear.Especially,theexportsfromGhanatoChinahadanincredibleyear-on-yeargrowthof41.3percent.FortheGhanaianbusinesspeople,wesuggesttheytakeadvantageoftheplatformssuchasChinaInternationalImportExpoandChinaImportandExportFair(CantonFair).Inaddition,itisimportanttofindreliableChinesepartnersthroughregularcontact,learnmoreaboutChinesemarketcultureanddobusinessthatabidesbythelawofbothcountries.TheChineseEmbassyinGhanawillalsohelpbusinesspeoplefrombothsidesknoweachotherandprovidenecessaryassistance.
Recently,youwelcomedthe28thEscortTaskGroupoftheChinesePLANavytoGhana.Canyoutellusalittleabouttheirvisit?
FromJune4to8,the28thEscortTaskGroup(ETG)oftheChinesePLANavycomposedofPlansYancheng(FFG-546),PlansWeifang(FFG-550)andPlansTaihu(AOR-889)paidafriendlyvisittoGhana.Duringthevisit,CommandersofETGandcommandingofficersofthewarshipspaidcourtesycallsontheGhanaianmilitaryandgovernmentofficials.
TheyalsovisitedtheKofiAnnanInternationalPeacekeepingTrainingCenterandtheGhanaArmedForcesCommandandStaffCollege,heldpublicactivities,donatedcomputers,stationeryandfootballstotheNavalBasePrimarySchoolinTemaandheldajointmilitaryexerciseatseawiththeGhanaianNavy.
ThevisitoftheChinesePLANavyisajourneyofpeace,friendshipandcooperation.ItfullydemonstratesthegoodimageofChinaasaresponsiblecountry.ThevisithasgreatlyinspiredthenationalprideandconfidenceofoverseasChineseinGhana.Itwillcertainlyhaveasignificantandpositiveimpactonthedevelopmentofrelationsbetweenthetwocountriesandthetwoarmedforces.
WhatattractionsdoyouthinkGhanahasforChinesetouristsandarethereplanstoincreaseChinesetourismtoGhana?
Ghanahasbeautifulcoastlines,lushtropicalrainforestsandawidevarietyofwildanimals.Ghanaalsohasalonghistory,fantasticculture,andwarmandfriendlypeople.
Chinaiswillingtofurtherstrengthenbilateralcollaborationintheconstructionoftourismandculturalfacilitiesandintheexplorationoftourismresources,tocontinuouslyenhancemutualunderstandingbetweenthetwocountries.
WewouldencouragemoreChinesetouriststovisitGhanaandmoreChineseenterprisestoinvestinGhana鈥檚tourismindustry.Wewillfurtherstrengthencooperationinthefieldsoftourismandculturebetweenthetwocountries.
WhatareyourthoughtsonthefutureofSino-Africanrelationsingeneral?
ChinaandAfricaisacommunitywithasharedfutureandsolidarity.Asacontinentwheredevelopingcountriesaremostconcentrated,Africaisthe鈥渇oundationofthefoundation鈥漮fChina鈥檚diplomacy.
WhenvisitingAfricain2013,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingproposedsincerity,realresults,affinityandgoodfaithastheguidelineforChina-Africarelations,andofferedtopursuethegreatergoodandsharedinterestsinrelationtoAfrica.Accordingtothisguideline,ChinaandAfricawillforeverremaingoodfriendsbydevelopingtogether,goodpartnerswithequalcooperationandgoodbrothersthroughthickandthin.ChinawillputitselfintoAfrica鈥檚shoes,providefinancial,technicalandpersonnelsupporttoAfrica鈥檚industrializationprocess.Notonlybyachievingpovertyreductionandimprovingpeople鈥檚livelihood,butChinawillalsohelpimproveAfrica鈥檚independentdevelopmentcapacityandenhanceAfrica鈥檚own鈥渉ematopoietic鈥漟unction.Withthejointeffortsofbothsides,China-Africacooperationwillclimbthepeakandforgeintoanewera.
WhenvisitingAfricain2013,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingproposedsincerity,realresults,affinityandgoodfaithastheguidelineforChina-Africarelations,andofferedtopursuethegreatergoodandsharedinterestsinrelationtoAfrica.Accordingtothisguideline,ChinaandAfricawillforeverremaingoodfriendsbydevelopingtogether,goodpartnerswithequalcooperationandgoodbrothersthroughthickandthin.
ReportingfromGhanaCommentsto