Remarks by Chinese Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Mdm. Sun Baohong at a Donation Ceremony at

Martyrs of Uganda Preparatory School

(Kumasi, July 24th, 2017)

Respected Headmistress Reverend Sister Mary Concepta Mensah ,

Teachers and students,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to come to Martyrs of Uganda Preparatory School. I feel vigorous and vital when I am among the kids.

As Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, I have a soft spot for the country and want to do more things for the Ghanaian people, especially to enhance mutual understanding between our next generations so that they can inherit and develop traditional friendship of our two countries and become good friends, good partners and good brothers for ever.

China is a remote country. It is thousands of miles away from Africa geographically. China has a civilization of 5,000 years and many scenic spots and historical sites such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the West Lake in Hangzhou and the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an. China has 1.3 billion industrious and brave people who are creating a better life with their own hands. The New Four Great Inventions known as high-speed train, internet payment, shared cycling and online shopping are spreading from China to the rest of the world and benefiting more people.

China is, at the same time, a close country. The exchanges between China and Africa run a long, long course. Some 600 years ago, Zheng He, a Chinese navigator in the Ming Dynasty arrived in East Africa with his fleet. Nowadays in Kumasi alone, many businessmen fly to China and many Chinese businessmen come here every day. Kumasi Youth Center and Lady Julie ICT Knowledge Community Center are aided by the Chinese government. WYNCA Sunshine Agric, cement plant, auto spare parts factory and plastic products factory are invested by Chinese companies. Just now, I met two Chinese teachers who are teaching Chinese in Kumasi. They told me that more and more Ghanaian students learn Chinese and love China.

As you know, Dr. Charles Dwamena, Deputy Head of the Ghanaian Embassy in China spent his primary school years here, but you may not know that he completed his college education in China with a Doctor degree in medicine. We are now peers working toward strengthening China-Ghana friendship and cooperation. I hope that you can follow his example and make contribution to China-Ghana friendship.

Dear students,

We are in an ever-changing world with new things appearing every day. It is barely passing to keep up with the historical trend. You have to become someone who can lead the future to fundamentally change your destiny and your surrounding environment. A Chinese proverb goes like this, read thousands of books and walk thousands of miles. I hope you will learn Chinese, discover and understand China with a view to harvesting knowledge and embracing the future.

Today I bring to you computers and footballs and I put my expectation for you in these two gifts.

Firstly, I hope you can broaden your vision. Vision is a lifetime wealth. A person can walk as far as he can see. Internet is the most economical way to travel. You need only a computer to connect with the furthest distance. I hope you can take full advantage of computer as your key to the world and make friends with the world. China’s magnificent culture and splendid landscape are waiting for you at the end of the internet.

Secondly, I hope you keep strong and healthy. Sports are the common language for mankind. Doing exercises can not only cultivate virtue of pursuing excellence, but also enhance friendship. Football is very popular in Ghana, and it is also loved by the Chinese people. Many Ghanaian football players are well-known in China. I wish you can become strong and tenacious through football sports.

Percy Shelley once said, hope and youth are brothers. Youth is your most valuable wealth. The future belongs to you. Please make full use of your time to learn, to interrogate, to think, to discern and to practice. I wish you would study hard and grow healthy.

Thank you.