From Ernest Best Anane
Her Excellency Sun Baohong, the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador in Ghana has visited Kumasi during which she called on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
She also called on the Mayor of Kumasi, Mr. Kojo Bonsu, and the Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, and made a donation of mosquito nets, radio sets, bags and football kits to the Asem local community as part of her visit.
The Chinese Ambassador explained that the visit would help strengthen relations between the Chinese nationals and residents of Kumasi against the fact that the population of Chinese was growing in Ghana as Kumasi was fast becoming a business city.
H. E. Baohong noted the visit would afford her the opportunity to meet with the Traditional and political leaders in the city and the region towards collaboration between Chinese and the people of the region.
She stressed the need for the two countries and their peoples to co-operate in the areas of education and trade in the face of great potentials in those areas.
Ambassador Baohong recommended the study of Chinese at the Kwame University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to enhance the teaching and learning of Chinese to foster a better relationship between Ghana and China.
At the Manhyia Palace, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, pleaded with the Chinese government to help the country consolidate the gains of Bui Dam through technology in dealing with the energy crisis confronting Ghana.
The King also entreated the Chinese in the mining companies to add refinery in mining in Ghana to help solve unemployment.
Otumfuo also called for assistance from the Chinese government to put up a national theatre in Kumasi.
Mr. Kojo Bonsu hoped that the visit will be a fruitful one. He said as the population of the Chinese continues to grow in the country Ghanaians must accept them and work as brothers and sisters to support one another in business.
Mr. Joseph Yamin, the Deputy Regional Minister, pleaded with the Chinese diplomat to prevail on Chinese nationals in the country to be law abiding and refrain from engaging in illegal mining that destroy the lands of our cocoa farmers.
He suggested that the Chinese could direct their expertise into the production of cocoa, maize and cassava to help maximize the agriculture sector to employ most of the youth in the country.