On 15th August 2017, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Mdm. Sun Baohong held a reception for the 2017 Chinese Government Scholarship Students at her residence. Nearly 100 participants including the First Lady H.E. Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Minister of Education Hon. Mr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for the Interior Hon. Mr. Ambrose Dery, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Hon. Mrs. Catherine Afeku, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Hon. Mr. Charles Owiredu, Chairman of Ghana-China Friendship Association Amb. Kojo Godfried, Registrar of Ghana Scholarships Secretariat Mr. Kingsley Agyemang as well as representatives from media, and the 2017 Chinese Government Scholarship students attended the reception. Ambassador Sun, the First Lady H.E. Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo , and the student representative delivered a speech respectively.
Ambassador Sun extended her warmest congratulations to the Ghanaian students who won the 2017 Chinese Government Scholarship, and sang high praise of China-Ghana cooperation on education which had yielded fruitful results. She said the Chinese Government has provided 1006 government scholarships to the Ghanaian students up to date. Currently, 5,516 Ghanaian students are studying in China, which ranked top among the African countries in terms of the number of their students studying in China for three consecutive years. The Chinese government has been continuously providing human resources training programs to the Ghanaian government. Last year, 1,200 Ghanaian people received training in China, and this number ranked top of all foreigners who received training programs in China. Besides, China also helps Ghana to improve its education infrastructure. China has aided construction of primary schools in rural areas, the New Century Vocational Training School Expansion Project in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and used the Chinese loan to implement the Distance Education Project in the University of Ghana. Two Confucius Institutes have been established in Ghana.
Ambassador Sun reviewed the profound friendship between China and Ghana, and said China is willing to work hand in hand with the new Ghanaian government to seize the opportunity for implementing the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, and promote China-Ghana friendly relations to a new high level.
Ambassador Sun depicted the picture of ancient history, splendid culture and recent development achievements of China. She wished that the Ghanaian students will treasure the precious time in China, study hard and make greater contribution to the development of Ghana and become ambassadors of China-Ghana friendship at new era.
First Lady H.E. Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo sang high praise of the profound friendship between Ghana and China, and highly appreciated China's contribution to Ghana. She called on the Ghanaian students to make full use of this good opportunity and study on Chinese society, culture and history to advocate China-Ghana friendship. She hoped that students would take Ghanaian leader like President Akufo-Addo as an example, study hard and come back to make significant contribution to Ghana.
The student representative Mr. Ayiwi Edems extended sincere thanks to the Chinese Government on behalf of the 2017 Scholarship winners. He expressed his longing for forthcoming student life in China. He said he would seize this opportunity and make effort to enhance China-Ghana friendship.
