China, Ghana agree to deepen traditional friendship

China and Ghana agreed to deepen their traditional friendship on Friday on the occasion of marking the 52nd anniversary of the signing of the Friendship Treaty between the two countries. At a celebration event, Ghana's former Foreign Minister James Victor Gbeho said "52 years ago, Ghana and China signed the Friendship Treaty in Beijing to promote genuine and close friendship. Half a century later, despite challenges, Ghana and China have sustained healthy bilateral relations on the basis of mutual benefit." The bilateral relations have expanded at all levels, he added. The celebration event was organized by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA) in Accra. Nearly 100 officials, dignitaries and businessmen from both sides including Ghanian Parliament Speaker Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho and Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Gong Jianzhong, attended the ceremony. For his part, Gong said "Over years, the Ghana-China Friendship Association has played an important role in enhancing understanding between our two peoples. This celebration is to renew our friendship and to promote it to a new height." He also said "people-and-people interactions are very important in sustaining the friendship, and we are determined to carry out more cultural exchanges between the peoples." Addressing the event, Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, president of GHACHIFA and former Ghanaian ambassador to China, encouraged Ghanaians to expand their business in and exports to China. "China is the second largest economy in the world and we see this in a very positive way. Our friendship can be further strengthened through win-win economic cooperation. Ghanaian enterprises can go to China to showcase their products through GHACHIFA," Amoo-Gottfried said.