In a landmark announcement coinciding with the Fourth China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, officials from Ghana and Hunan Province, China, have committed to intensify cooperation in trade, investment, and development across multiple sectors.
On June 12, 2025, ahead of the Expo’s opening in Changsha, Shen Xiaoming, Party Secretary of Hunan Province, said the province would “continue to focus on expanding and upgrading new barter trade with Africa, while promoting the integrated development of production, industry and trade.”
Hunan, already leading central and western Chinese provinces in trade with Africa, eyes deeper engagement with Ghana, particularly in equipment manufacturing, mining, energy, and agricultural modernization.
Echoing Shen’s remarks, a February 2025 policy package from Hunan launched 11 measures to enhance China Africa economic integration.
These included promoting supply-chain linkages, building logistics hubs, boosting financial support, and trialing barter trade models.
Ghana’s delegation made up of ministers, business leaders, and the national ambassador welcomed the proposed initiatives, seeing strong potential to deepen existing ties with China in mining and infrastructure.
The team emphasized Ghana’s interest in attracting investment in critical infrastructure such as power, ports, and industrial zones; boosting agro-processing and mechanized agriculture; expanding vocational and skills training through models like China’s “Luban Workshop”; and advancing green energy development, including solar and hydroelectric projects.
This partnership extends beyond economics. A new Confucius Institute has been established at KNUST, joining the others in Accra and Cape Coast, while thousands of Ghanaian students continue their studies in China.
Officials reaffirmed a two-way flow of talent, expertise, and cultural understandingan essential foundation for sustainable cooperation.
Hunan-Africa trade reached over 50 billion CNY annually for recent years, with a notable 14.3% CAGR from 2021 to 2024 Projections suggest bilateral trade with Africa exceeded $40 billion in 2023–2024; Ghana’s share is expected to expand under enhanced frameworks.
Ghana and China’s Hunan Province reached consensus on a range of strategic cooperation measures.
Both sides agreed to establish a Ghana–Hunan collaborative council to coordinate industrial and technical partnerships.
Key initiatives include pilot barter-trade arrangements enabling Ghana to export commodities in exchange for Chinese machinery, the development of export inspection labs and logistics hubs in Ghana, and efforts to attract Chinese investment into power generation, agro-processing, and extractive sectors.
The agreement also prioritizes the expansion of vocational training centres to equip Ghanaian youth with technical skills.
A delegation is expected to visit Ghana later this year to explore specific pilot projects.
Ghanaian officials will also attend forthcoming Expo sessions and trade meetings in Changsha, aligning with broader Belt and Road and China–Africa strategies.
Officials from both nations emphasized this is not a one-off event but a strategic collaboration embedded in national development plans and vow to ensure long-term impact on industrialization, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
