Upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President John Dramani Mahama and First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama arrived in Beijing on the 12 October to attend the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women. Co-hosted by China and UN Women, the meeting marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which adopted the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” – an influential policy framework that sets global standards for the pursuit of gender equality and women’s empowerment. This year also marks the 65th anniversary of bilateral ties between the two countries, and Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to recognise China.
President Mahama’s attendance in the meeting shows an important people-to-people aspect that is often neglected in discussions of Ghana-China relation. Importantly, Ghana has a close and long-standing friendship with China that dates back to its first president Kwame Nkrumah’s time. Nkrumah visited China three times during the years of 1961 to 1966, and had established significant personal relationship with key Chinese leaders at the time – Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.
Entering the 2000s, though the bilateral relation between Ghana and China has shifted to focus more on trade and economic collaborations, the people-to-people exchange continued to flourish. Before the pandemic, Ghana had the largest group of students studying in China among all African countries. In 2023, out of the 60,000 scholarships offered to foreigners by the Chinese Government, 500 were offered to Ghanaians – making Ghana effectively among the top countries for China-Africa collaborations in human development and capacity building.
President Mahama’s keen participation in people-to-people exchanges and women’s empowerment however, should not overshadow other agendas of his state visit this time. On the sideline of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, President Mahama met with President Xi, Premier Li Qiang and participated in the Ghana-China Presidential Investment Forum before travelling to Fujian. Fujian is the sister province of the Greater Accra Region and an important coastal province that is export-oriented, investment-driven and closely linked to global trade. It was also the place where Xi spent most of his time during his early political career, serving in various local leadership positions.
While the high-level meetings have touched upon expanding Ghana-China cooperation in energy, mining, infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries, the focus of discussions have been on finalizing the zero-tariff trade agreement, which China has extended to all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties earlier this year. Ghana’s meeting with China shows that the continent-wide zero-tariff announcement has to be followed up with concrete and country-specific plans. The successful implementation of the zero-tariff policy is crucial, as China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years and remains Ghana’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record high of USD 11.8 billion in 2024, marking a 7.1% increase from the previous year. Chinese exports to Ghana totalled USD 9.8 billion, up 6.7%, primarily consisting of machinery and electrical equipment, textiles, and steel, while Ghana’s exports to China reached USD 2 billion, an increase of 9.3%, largely comprising crude oil, manganese, and cocoa beans.
The focus on zero-tariff shows that trade remains a central pillar of Ghana-China relations, and Mahama’s visit has also reinforced Accra’s position as an active participant in the regional and continental trade networks of Africa. Importantly, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has its Secretariat in Accra. What can be explored more in future discussions is how Ghana can leverage its role to promote continent-wide trade strategies that move beyond bilateral deals. This positioning allows Ghana not only to advance its own trade interests but also to act as a bridge between Africa’s unified trade agenda and China’s evolving economic engagement on the continent.
With the zero-tariff agreement between Ghana and China set to be signed by the end of October, it could potentially benefit Ghana with its broader strategy to diversify exports and move beyond reliance on raw commodity sales. However, concerns were raised by local manufacturers as to whether this would first bring in more Chinese imports than having more Ghanaian goods exported to China. This concurs with what Development Reimagined CEO, Hannah Ryder, says shortly after the announcement in June: “Zero tariffs are just the starting point. To truly unlock the Chinese market, African exporters must build value-added supply chains, understand Chinese consumer preferences, and tap into powerful digital distribution platforms”.
The importance of building value-added supply chains brings in investment as another key aspect of Mahama’s visit, with Chinese firms increasingly financing projects that span sectors critical to Ghana’s growth. The Ghana-China Presidential Investment Forum was held in Beijing on 14 October to attract investment for the construction of major infrastructures and facilities that could contribute to shifting the trade imbalance. A number of strategic priority projects from industrial parks and logistics corridor to hybrid digital and physical platform that showcase Ghanaian-made goods and services were presented by the Ghanaian delegation to Chinese investors. President Mahama’s visits to three Fujian-based Chinese enterprises also pointed to sectors that Ghana had been or hoping to work with China in the coming years. These include Sentuo Group, which is the largest private Chinese enterprise in Ghana. The Group has established large-scale crude oil refinery and ceramics manufacturing company in the country. Two other companies visited by President Mahama operated in the garment manufacturing sector (specialising in chemical fibres and new materials) and in the digital education industry.
In addition to private sector investment, state-led infrastructure has historically been one of the most visible markers of China’s engagement in Ghana. From Bui Hydroelectric Dam to Tema Port expansion, Chinese financing and construction expertise have been central to Ghana’s development efforts. The 2025 presidential visit reinforced collaboration on key projects listed under Ghana’s “National Infrastructure Development Programme”, which are intended to stimulate industrial growth, urban development, and regional connectivity. During his time in China, President Mahama also unveiled a 20-year plan for constructing “green city” in the areas of Greater Accra, Volta and the Eastern Region, inviting potential investors to contribute to the planning and implementation of this initiative. It is thus clear that Ghana is willing to explore different financing structures that bring together multiple actors in developing these projects.
Taken together, President Mahama’s state visit to China this year has shown Ghana’s strong commitment to deepening its long-term, multidimensional relationship with China – from sustained people-to-people exchanges to closer collaborations in trade, industrial upgrading, infrastructure development and many more. Ghana is strategically weaving its relations with multiple global actors, with China only playing a part. The ultimate goal is to leverage foreign partnerships for the country’s own initiatives and visions for mutual support, value addition, and sustainable development. Being one of the best performing economies on the African continent, Ghana’s active and pragmatic approach to economic collaboration with China is one to watch and follow in the era of global instability and decoupling.
Written by Jiaying Tu who is is a part-time consultant at Development Reimagined and a PhD student at the Media Studies Department at the University of Amsterdam. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Southern African Times.
