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China to open up to the world
China to open up to the world

China to open up to the world

China will between November 5 and 10, 2018 open up to the world with the organisation of the China International Import Exposition that will allow other countries to showcase what products they can sell to the Chinese.

China has become one of the biggest consumption countries and will seek through the exposition to be hosted in Shanghai and scan through products that are critical for the needs of its citizens.

Exposition

Formally introducing the exposition to Ghanaians and inviting them to demonstrate what they could sell to China in Accra last Thursday, the Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Accra, Mr Chai Zhijing, said the exposition offered Ghana the opportunity to increase exports and reduce the trade imbalance with China.

Mr Zhijing noted that with a “population of 1.3 billion, China is expected to import products and services worth more than USD 10 trillion”, and invited Ghana to use the exposition to expand exports to China and share business opportunities.

Mr Chai Zhijing (2nd left) making a remark at the forum. With him are Mr Carlos Ahenkora (2nd right), Ms Gifty Klenam, CEO of Export Promotion Council, and Mr Edward Boateng (left), Ghana Ambassador to China

“The exposition represents China’s sincere wish to open its market to the world and demonstrate its active role as a major power in undertaking the responsibility of pushing forward economic globalisation,” he emphasised and appealed to Ghana not to be left out.

Liberalise trade

Responding to the invitation, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, said African leaders had agreed to liberalise trade on the continent and it was imperative for Ghana to look for markets in other countries, especially China, where consumption had increased tremendously.

He revealed that the government would create the enabling environment and facilitate the mobilisation of the private sector to benefit from such openings, and accordingly appealed to the Chinese government to relax its visa requirements to enable as many Ghanaian industrialists as possible to participate in the exposition.

Mr Ahenkorah noted that the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in partnership with the private sector would set up a committee to promote participation from the country.

He suggested that the media must be represented in the processes towards the participation of Ghanaian industrialists and proposed to the Director of Newspapers of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, to serve on the committee.

Industrial capacity

Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mr Edward Boateng, emphasised that the exposition was important for Ghana to demonstrate to the world what it could offer and called for meticulous planning and focus to enable the story of Ghana’s industrial and productive capacity to be told in a cogent manner to win sales.

He urged both the private and public sectors to take up the challenge through a well-coordinated effort for the fullest participation of Ghanaian industrialists in the exposition and to ensure that the Ghanaian story is coherent, appealing and convincing to make meaning out of the investment in the exposition.

Mr Boateng promised the support of the embassy to enable those who would participate feel comfortable in China.

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Export Promotion Agency (GEPA), Mrs Gifty Klenam, said there were a number of organic products that were unique to Ghana and expressed the hope that the exposition would open up the Chinese market to those products.

She appealed for support from the Chinese government to enable the GEPA to establish an office in China to sustain interaction between Ghanaian exporters and Chinese importers.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has expressed its readiness to participate in the exposition with value-added cocoa products and chocolate, but not raw cocoa beans.

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