The China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC) held in Beijing in October 2000 ushered in a new era of cooperation between China and African nations. The cooperation set out on a more productive journey with the convening in December 2003 of the Second Ministerial Conference of FOCAC in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. One of the highlights of the Conference was the adoption of "the FOCAC Addis Ababa Action Plan (2004-2006)". Since then, the implementation of the plan has gone on at full steam and brought about remarkable accomplishments.

In human resources development for African countries, the focal point of the follow-up actions, China has increased financial input, enlarged the scale of training programs, and established the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Mechanism on Foreign Human Resources Development Cooperation.

2004 saw a dramatic increase of opportunities in the form of training courses and seminars offered to Ghanaians. They involved distance education, basic education, investment in agricultural projects, HIV/AIDS prevention and control, computer technology, policy and management regarding economic and technological development zone, contracting projects in Africa, civil service, medicinal herbs, economy management, rural development, national free education, trade and investment and cooperation in Africa, capability building, security, salvaging management, workshops on press affairs and human rights, and seminars for journalists, headmasters of junior and senior secondary schools, principals of vocational schools and chancellors of institutions of higher learning. In all, 59 Ghanaians attended such well-received programs.