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The President of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, has stressed that he is prepared to work with his Ghanaian counterpart, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to ensure that relations between Ghana and China take the lead on the African continent.

According to President Xi, the “deep historic bond” between China and Ghana, nurtured by leaders such as Mao Zedong, Kwame Nkrumah and others, has resulted in “a 58-year old tradition of friendship”.

Whilst acknowledging the role of President Akufo-Addo “to the growth of China-Ghana relations”, the Chinese leader stated that, “You (President Akufo- Addo) are an old friend of the Chinese people… and I am ready to work with you.”

He was confident that, under their joint leadership, Ghana and China would “enrich our friendship, take our bonds of co-operation to new heights, and, thereby, deliver greater benefits to our two peoples.”

President Xi Jinping made this known, on Saturday, 1st September 2018, when he held bilateral talks with President Akufo-Addo at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, as part of the Ghanaian President’s State Visit to China.

Describing Ghana as a “trustworthy friend and good partner for development”, the Chinese President assured President Akufo-Addo of his commitment “to intensify our co-operation, give support to each other’s concerns, and ensure that China-Ghana relations take the lead in China-Africa relations.”

To this end, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of eight (8) Agreements that define the ambit of Chinese co-operation with Ghana in the immediate years ahead.

Principal amongst them was the $2 billion Sino-Sure Framework Agreement, which will enable Sino-Hyrdo Corporation, a subsidiary of Power China, to finance and participate in major infrastructure, road and railway construction projects.

President Xi Jinping also indicated that China will provide a grant of 200 million Chinese Yuan, the equivalent of $30 million, to Ghana, to assist in the effective implementation of the economic policies of President Akufo-Addo.

Additionally, the project embarked on by the Chinese government to construct 1,000 boreholes across some parts of Ghana, which will help in ensuring access to potable water, he said, will be completed.

The Chinese President also assured Ghana of China’s commitment to financing the construction of the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex, the expansion of the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, the commencement of the Phase 2 expansion project of the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the construction of a new cocoa processing facility, in line with President Akufo- Addo’s vision of adding value to Ghana’s raw materials.