Mining Photo: IC

Some African countries are ready to deepen cooperation with China in the mineral exploration sector, based on their abundant natural reserves and the advancing industrial chain of Chinese companies, to foster mutual benefit. Ambassadors of Ghana and Tanzania to China shared this with the Global Times on Saturday.

Ghana has maintained a close relationship with China over the past decade, including cooperation in the mineral sector and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partnership, Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, Ghana's ambassador to China, told the Global Times on Saturday during the 2023 Global Mining Business Development Forum.

"Minerals are one of the economic backbones of Ghana, and we have established the Ghana Investment Promotion Council to attract investors to Ghana's mineral sector, especially Chinese investors,"said Hammond.

According to the Chinese embassy in Ghana, citing local media, Ghana established seven new investment programs in the first half of 2023, 40 of which were backed by foreign investment. China topped the foreign investor list with 16 investment projects amounting to $120 million, followed by the US with nine projects totaling $19.5 million.

Hammond emphasized that Chinese companies have leading technologies and experience in the mineral industry, which will generate valuable business opportunities for both sides. "However, the mineral industry may damage the local natural environment, so we are seeking cooperation with Chinese companies in clean energy and environmental protection to realize sustainable development,"said the Ghanaian ambassador.

Tanzania's ambassador to China, Khamis Mussa Omar, told the Global Times that China is one of its major cooperation partners, and both sides have investment cooperation in multiple sectors including mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, and all of them are going well.

"Tanzania has abundant untapped minerals including nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, and graphite, which underscore huge potential for mineral cooperation with Chinese companies,"said the ambassador.

In 2022, the China-Tanzania trade volume was recorded at $8.31 billion, an increase of 23.7 percent year-on-year, and Chinese companies' investment stock in Tanzania reached $1.44 billion, according to data from China's Ministry of Commerce.

"China has provided what African countries need in the past several decades, such as infrastructure, without interference in the governance of the countries, and with huge respect for local laws, culture, and people,"said Omar, noting that these factors are the most important competitive advantages of China compared with Western countries.

Omar encouraged Chinese companies to make full use of Tanzania's raw materials to facilitate local industrialization, and to establish more China-Tanzania direct flights to boost bilateral communication. Hammond said Ghana is eager to collaborate with more Chinese investors to realize mutual benefits in future cooperation under the BRI.

Global Times