The Embassy of Ghana in the People’s Republic of China participated in the opening ceremony of a high-level seminar marking 70 Years of China-Africa and China-Arab Diplomatic Relations, held earlier in June 2026 in Beijing. The event brought together 200 participants, including diplomatic envoys from African and Arab countries accredited to China, policy experts, academics, and representatives of multilateral institutions.
The seminar was opened by H.E. Miao Deyu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. In his address, Vice Minister Miao characterised the past seven decades as a period of “leapfrog development” in China-Africa and China-Arab relations, attributing the momentum to the leadership of President Xi Jinping and African and Arab leaders. He described the relationship as an exemplary model for building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Vice Minister Miao identified the foundations of the partnership as mutual respect, equal treatment, a people centered and results oriented approach, mutual support, win-win outcomes, fairness, justice, solidarity, and coordination. Against the backdrop of a turbulent international environment and the rise of hegemonism, he called on partners to consolidate shared visions, intensify exchanges on governance, and align development strategies to advance modernization.
He further underscored the importance of people-to-people engagement, citing the successful implementation of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the role of platforms such as the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development in giving contemporary meaning to the friendship. He urged adherence to justice and equity, implementation of China’s four global initiatives, and joint advancement of the community with a shared future. He concluded that, having stood together for 70 years, China and its African and Arab partners are poised for an even more productive next seven decades of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Delivering the statement of the African Union on behalf of H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, PhD, Permanent Representative of the AU to China, commended President Xi Jinping’s leadership in deepening China-Africa ties, accelerating China’s development, and contributing to the shaping of a more balanced global order.
Ambassador Bah welcomed the Ten Partnership Actions for Modernisation adopted under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the zero-tariff policy for African products, which entered into force on 1 May 2026. He also welcomed President Xi’s four global initiatives on development, security, civilisation, and governance, noting their alignment with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and their reinforcement of the voice of the Global South.
Reflecting on 70 years of relations, he recalled China’s support for Africa’s liberation struggles and Africa’s support for the restoration of China’s lawful seat at the United Nations in 1971. He identified FOCAC as the institutional framework that has transformed friendship into an organised, results-oriented agenda, with notable progress in infrastructure, transport, energy, agriculture, health, science and technology, education, and skills development.
He called for deeper implementation, stronger African ownership, and alignment of FOCAC with Agenda 2063’s Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan and China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. He further stressed enhanced multilateral coordination, support for the Global South, and reform of global governance based on the United Nations Charter. He concluded by advocating an enhanced trilateral partnership among Africa, China, and the Arab world as a decisive factor in shaping humanity’s future in the 21st century.
The seminar was attended by several senior diplomats, including H.E. Martin Mpana, Ambassador of Cameroon and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps; H.E. Mamina Cyprien Sylvestre, Ambassador of the Republic of Congo and Co-Chair of FOCAC; H.E. Khaled Nazmy, Ambassador of Egypt to China; and H.E. Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy, Representative of the League of Arab States to China.
The seminar reaffirmed China’s sustained commitment to Africa through FOCAC and related trade and cooperation initiatives. For Ghana, specific areas of direct relevance include expanded market access through the zero-tariff policy and continued cooperation in infrastructure and technology. The African Union’s emphasis on an Africa-China-Arab trilateral partnership also presents opportunities for Ghana to deepen engagement in multilateral platforms and to expand participation in people-to-people exchanges under the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
The commemoration of 70 years of diplomatic relations placed strong emphasis on mutual respect, win-win cooperation, and joint modernisation. Speakers from both China and Africa underlined the need to transition from individual projects to systemic transformation, from pledges to implementation, and from shared principles to shared prosperity.
The Embassy of Ghana reaffirms its commitment to advancing Ghana-China relations within this broader framework of solidarity, cooperation, and sustainable development.
Compiled by: Moses Sackie, Counsellor/Information, Embassy of Ghana, People’s Republic of China.
