Your Excellency Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,
Your Excellency, the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana,
Honorable Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen,
Honorable Ministers, Regional Ministers and Mayors,
Honorable Members of Parliament,
Respected Traditional Leaders,
Colleagues from the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends and My Compatriots,
Good evening!
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, I would like to extend the warmest welcome to you all for coming to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. I would also like to extend my sincere greetings and best wishes to you and, through you, to the people of all walks of life who have long endeavored to promote China-Ghana friendship.
This is the fourth time for me to hold the National Day Reception in Accra. Over the past year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, we promote all-round economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress, and the coordinated Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy to accomplish building a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the law-based governance of China, and strengthen Party self-discipline, implement the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing, and advance our reform and development undertaking.
——In domestic affairs, we continue to carry on comprehensively deepening reforms, accelerate the transformation of government functions, further streamline administration, reduce taxes and alleviate burdens for business. We are carrying out a new round of high-quality opening up, building a more open, regulated and convenient business environment. We deeply implement the innovation-driven development strategy, and extensively promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation, develop a new generation of artificial intelligence plan and make our endeavors to lead the world’s new industrial revolution trend. We continue to propel the supply-side structural reform, promote economic transformation and upgrading, and the stable performance with good momentum for growth of China's economy has been constantly consolidated. In the first half of this year, China's economy increased by 6.9 percent and 7.35 million new urban jobs were created. The growth rate of China took the lead in major economies, contributing over 30 percent to the world economic growth. In the second half of year, it will stay on the upward trajectory of the first half of this year. China has the confidence to maintain its economic growth at medium-high speed, and make it march towards medium-high end.
——In international affairs, we continue to push forward the major-country diplomacy with Chinese features, and creatively put forward a series of new vision, new thinking and new strategy, establishing General Secretary Xi Jinping's thoughts on diplomacy. The thoughts point a clear direction to promote major-country diplomacy with Chinese features, establish the goal of forging a community of common destiny for all mankind, advocate the new international relations with the core of win-win cooperation, embrace the approach for state-to-state relations that features dialogue rather than confrontation and partnership rather than military alliance. Under the guidance of the thoughts, we are actively building a healthy and stable framework of major-country relations, create a new situation for good neighborhood and friendly cooperation, and promote the upgrading of cooperation with developing countries. We successfully hosted the G20 summit in Hangzhou, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and the 9th BRICS Summit and Dialogue Between Emerging Market Economies and Developing Countries which was just concluded at the beginning of this month in China. Through these home court diplomacy, we hold high the banner of global development, actively promote the reform of international governance system, provide Chinese approach to the solution of international and regional hot issues. China’s worldwide influence is on the increase, and the world witnesses an innovative and responsible China.
Your Honorable, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, My Compatriots,
China-Ghana friendship has a long history. Ghana is the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China. Her founding president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai of China had nurtured deep friendship. Former President Kufuor, who served as Deputy Foreign Minister of Ghana 46 years ago, voted to support the restoration of China’s legitimate seat at the United Nations and made outstanding contribution to the development of China-Ghana relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 57 years ago, the traditional friendship between China and Ghana has been continuously consolidated, and cooperation in various fields has flourished with abundant fruits.
Since the NPP government took office this January, H.E. President Akufo-Addo has firmly adhered to the friendly policy towards China and is committed to building a stronger Ghana-China relation. The office of H.E. Vice President Dr. Bawumia coordinates China-Ghana economic cooperation, which provides political guarantee at a very high level. Our mutual political trust has been consistently enhanced. In June, Vice President Dr. Bawumia led a large delegation to visit China and held fruitful talks and meetings with Chinese national leaders. The two sides reached a number of consensus on cooperation in the area of investment, financing, infrastructure and energy. China pledged full support to Ghanaian government’s One District One Factory Initiative and other development plans. This visit deepened the mutual political trust and pointed the direction for the future cooperation between the two countries. Three days ago, the Fourth Session of the Joint Commission on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation between China and Ghana was held in Accra. Vice Minister of Commerce of China Mr. Qian Keming and Minister for Finance of Ghana Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta co-chaired the meeting and jointly signed the Minutes, which greatly promote the implementation of the outcomes of Vice President’s visit to China.
In the first half of this year, bilateral trade volume between China and Ghana amounts to US$3.32 billion, ranking 6th among African countries and registering a 17.5% increase. Ghana’s exports to China reached US$990 million with a 91.3% increase. Newly signed engineering contracts amount to US$1.371 billion, also ranking 6th in Africa. The completed turnover is US$523 million. The project on the construction of the new container terminal at Tema Port by Chinese enterprise is proceeding smoothly. The two electrification projects in the Northern, Eastern, Volta and other regions in Ghana are to be implemented in the coming days. Our cooperation in the area of electricity, building materials, aviation, automobile manufacturing, sanitation, fishing, oil and gas development have all scored remarkable achievements. This fully demonstrates our two economies are highly complementary and our economic relations are mutually beneficial.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have been ever increasing. Currently, 5,516 Ghanaian students are studying in China, and this number has ranked top of all African students in China for three consecutive years. The Chinese government has been continuously providing human resources training programs to the Ghanaian government. Last year, 1,200 Ghanaian people received training in China, and this number ranked top of all foreigners who received training programs in China. This year, about 800 Ghanaian people have already completed their training programs in China. The 2nd Asia-Africa Youth Festival has just been concluded in China, 10 young Ghanaian people from different walks of life participated in this event. Today they are also here. My colleague in China told me that your performance in China is wonderful. By the end of October, the Chinese Hanban will assign a martial arts delegation to visit Ghana to stage wonderful Chinese martial arts performance for Ghanaian people. The close exchanges between the two peoples are the fountain of China-Ghana traditional friendship.
At the Fourth Round of Political Consultations between Chinese and African Foreign Ministers of member countries of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on 20th September at UN, Chinese and African foreign ministers adopted the Joint Communique and reached consensus on the implementation of outcomes of FOCAC Johannesburg Summit and deepening all-round China-Africa pragmatic cooperation. Under new situation, China and Ghana should take advantage of the fast developing momentum of China-Africa cooperation, explore new areas and modes for cooperation focusing on cooperation on production capacity, equipment manufacturing and infrastructure, accelerate the connectivity of our development strategies with the aim of complementing each other's advantages, enhance quality and efficiency of cooperation and promote the transformation and upgrading of China-Ghana cooperation in various areas. Let us work together to usher China-Ghana relations into the new era of win-win cooperation and common development!
Ladies and Gentlemen, My Compatriots,
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held in Beijing in 20 days. This Congress is of vital importance in the process of accomplishing building a moderately prosperous society and the key phase in the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will stand on the new starting point of history, stay true to the mission taken up by the CPC 96 years ago, forge ahead into the future, and strive for the goal of great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.
Now, I would like to propose a toast:
To the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,
To the happiness and health of H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and H.E. President Xi Jinping, our two peoples and all the guests present!
To the well-being, stability and prosperity of Ghana and China!
Long live China-Ghana friendship!
Cheers!