Negotiations for collaboration are far advanced between the two countries for commercial rice farming, the construction of the railway linking the two seaports to the Boankra Inland port, and the construction of the International Conference Centre in Kumasi.

Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, announced this in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the third Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation in Beijing, China.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was conceived and championed by China’s President Xi Jinping to build a community with a shared future, uniting nations in pursuit of common goals and prosperity.

The Regional Minister said Chinese investors had shown keen interest in supporting those infrastructure projects in the Kumasi metropolis.

Mr Osei-Mensah said the Ghanaian delegation, in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, would visit Qufu Normal University in China under the Confucius Centre, an automative technology institution, to learn from best practices.

Speaking on the topic “Exchange and Mutual Learning among People and Civilizations” at the Forum, the Minister underscored the importance of collaboration to ensure global peace and development.

He said the country’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, based on the principles of mutual trust and respect, equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, was to ensure holistic development across sectors.

Ghana was one of the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1960, sharing a remarkable history of cultural and economic exchanges dating back to the 15th century.

The offshoot of cooperation between the two countries, the Minister stated, covered infrastructure projects, agriculture, health, education, trade, and investment, amongst others.

He said, “Through cultural, social, political, and economic exchanges, we strengthen ties between nations, create bridges that unite people, and enhance growth and development, which culminate in the improvement of the welfare as well as the general life of the people.”

The Regional Minister commended the Chinese President for developing steps to support the joint pursuit of effective cooperation among partners of the BRI.

The steps for the BRI include support for the promotion of international green development, advancement of scientific and technological innovation, supporting people-to-people exchanges, and promotion of integrity measures for the successful implementation of infrastructure projects.