Ghana opens new consulate in Guangzhou
Ghana has opened a new consulate in Guangzhou, China to support Ghanaian and Chinese business activities, as well as provide them with expedite consular services to facilitate trade and investment promotion between the two countries.
With the new consulate, the long journey businessmen and women had to endure to go to Beijing for visas and other trade facilitation processes would be over since the consulate-general will be available to manage all concerns including the promotion of a crucial agenda for foreign investment and international trade.
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Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and the Vice-Governor of the Guangdong Province of China, Mr Ouyanf Weimin last Wednesday jointly cut the tape to officially open the consulate at a ceremony which was attended by officials of the foreign ministries of China and Ghana, as well as other Ghanaian and Chinese guests.
In her opening address, Ms Botchwey said the Guangzhou Consulate-General of the Republic of Ghana had its consular district covering the Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan Provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
She recalled travelling to China a year ago, that was in June 2018, when she met the Vice-Governor of the Guangdong Province, Mr Ouyanf Weimin and requested that he assisted Ghana to acquire a land for an office building.
She said she was humbled to have the various Chinese officials to grace the occasion and extended best regards from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the officials.
Trade partner
The foreign minister stressed that China remained the largest trade partner of Ghana and noted that given the scale of cooperation between China and Ghana and the fact that the Guangdong Province is the economic hub of China,made the city the natural choice of Ghana’s first Consulate-General in China.
She recalled that in 1971, Ghana was one of the countries that led the way to get China unto the United Nations Security Council.
Since then, she said the relations between Ghana and China had improved significantly.
She said, “The cooperation between the two countries is at an all-time high,” adding that the interactions at the highest political level between our leaders and China’s support for Ghana testify to that.
Ms Botchwey expressed appreciation to the government of the People’s Republic of China for accepting that Ghana’s Consulate-General is established in the city of Guangzhou.
She advised Ghanaians who travel there to do business or seek business partners and those with resident permits to be law abiding.
Ghana's Ambassador
In his welcoming address, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mr Edward Boateng said in 2018, foreign trade volume between Ghana and China registered US$7.25b, up by 8.7 per cent and topped the list among all African countries.
Meanwhile, he said over 1,000 wells aided by China were accomplished, benefiting people living in over 830 villages.
Mr Boateng noted that their close people to people exchanges was also evident with 6,500 Ghanaian students studying in China.
The Chinese Vice-Governor traced the relationship between China and Ghana which dates very far back and said she was hopeful that the already cordial relationship will be further strengthened.
Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mr Edward Boateng welcomed the officials and guests to the ceremony.
In attendance was the Consulate-General for Guangzhou, Mr Samuel Yaw Nsiah.
