Accra: The Chinese Embassy in Ghana has rejected comments by Mr. David McAllister, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, regarding China's zero-tariff agreements and their impact on trade imbalances between China and Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Embassy described the remarks as 'false' and misleading, asserting that such claims undermined efforts by China and Ghana to enhance economic cooperation and expand opportunities for Ghanaian exports in the Chinese market. Mr. McAllister had urged Ghana to carefully assess its trade relations with China during an interaction with students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
The Embassy, in a statement issued in Accra, emphasized that the claims were rooted in a misunderstanding of China's economic cooperation with Ghana and the wider African continent. Mr. McAllister had compared the EU's Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Ghana, which he described as 'balanced and sustainable,' to China's trade model, which he claimed was driven by 'different motives and values.'
Reacting to these assertions, the Chinese Embassy insisted that China's zero-tariff treatment to Ghana was a voluntary initiative aimed at deepening economic cooperation and supporting Ghana's export growth. The Embassy's spokesperson remarked on the absurdity of Mr. McAllister's statements, highlighting that the zero-tariff treatment was China's initiative to open its market wider voluntarily.
The Embassy further noted that China's decision to offer zero-tariff treatment reflected Beijing's longstanding commitment to fair trade and mutual development with Ghana and Africa. It added that the growing presence of Chinese goods in Ghana's markets was driven by consumer preference, affordability, and quality.
The Embassy dismissed Mr. McAllister's suggestion that Ghana risked overdependence on China, emphasizing China's role as a consistent and reliable partner in Ghana's industrialization, infrastructure development, and agricultural modernization. It cited data from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), which indicated that China had become Ghana's largest investment partner.
The statement also recalled President John Dramani Mahama's recent visit to Beijing, where he announced Ghana's intention to finalize the early-harvest phase of the zero-tariff agreement. It critiqued Europe's tendency to lecture rather than listen, urging Western leaders to support African-led growth rather than criticize other partnerships.
Mr. McAllister had acknowledged Ghana's sovereign right to choose its partners, but the Chinese Embassy reiterated that its cooperation model was founded on equality and respect for sovereignty. Beijing's zero-tariff initiative aims to extend duty-free access to 98 percent of taxable items imported from Ghana and other least-developed countries, with Ghana expected to benefit early from the policy.
The Embassy reaffirmed China's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Ghana in trade, investment, technology, and cultural exchange.