Ghana’s delegation, led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, (MP), held fruitful discussions with the Vice Mayor of the city of Nanning, Guangxi Province in China, Mr. Guo Wei and his officials on the sidelines of the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo at the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Centre, on Thursday, 12th June, 2025.
In his submission, Mr. Wei expressed interest in collaborating with Ghana in the areas of economics, trade, agriculture, mining, urban development, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. He revealed that his city was ready to elevate its bilateral relations with Ghana and thus proposed the establishment of sister-city relations between Chinese and Ghanaian cities to foster closer ties.
On his part, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, (MP), stated that China is the largest trading partner of Ghana, with trade volumes of up to 11 billion US Dollars, with the potential of reaching 15 billion USD. He further mentioned that Ghana has been noted as a popular destination for Nanning citizens.
Responding to the proposal for establishing a sister-city project, he encouraged the Vice Mayor to select cities in his province to pair with cities in Ghana, aiming to foster people-to-people exchanges. He stated that it would be beneficial to exchange knowledge in areas such as urban planning, fundraising, sanitation, and technology, among others.
Additionally, the Minister took the opportunity to convey the resolve of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to root out activities of illegal mining, also known as galamsey, because of its devastating effect on the environment and the well-being of the people. He entreated the Vice Mayor to embark on public education in Nanning to enlighten the people about the effects of illegal mining, adding that although Ghana is open to investors, it would not tolerate illegal acts. He sounded a word of caution to those with thoughts of engaging in illegal mining, that they would be severely prosecuted and not easily let go.
The meeting ended with both sides pledging to work closely to enhance their relations.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/mfarighana
