My Ghana Electronic Desk

Smart grab: The Minister of Communications, Mrs. Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful has indicated that Ghana’s complete transition to full digital migration would be done in phases and also delay for another year till 2018 to deal with some knotty issues. By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Communications Minister speaking with a reporter of the Daily Graphic, Edmund Smith-Asante. Ghana’s full digital migration would have to wait a little longer till 2018, the Minister of Communications, Mrs. Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful, has said.

Smart grab: The Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced massive financial support to countries to back the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for greater cooperation among countries in Africa, Asia and Europe which control about 60 per cent of the world’s trade. By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING President Xi Jinping adressing the forum. China has pledged a support of 60 billion yuan (US$8.7 billion) in the next three years to developing countries and international organisations taking part in a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) it is championing, as a fillip for more projects to improve the lives of people.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mr Yong Feng, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) addressing the journalists. China has hinted that it will collaborate with Ghanaian authorities to establish a cardiovascular centre in Kumasi to complement the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mrs Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful, Communications Minister. The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful would lead a 5-man delegation to the 7 th International Digital Conference scheduled for Beijing on May 22 and May 23, 2017, all other things being equal.

Smart grab A professor at the Renmin University of China’s School of International Studies, Prof Wang Yiwei has stated that Africa stands to gain from massive infrastructural development from an initiative to link up global trade routes championed by China – the Belt and Road Initiative. By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Prof. Yiwei of the Renmin University of China speaking with a journalist after the press conference. Africa stands to reap immense benefits from a global trade initiative being championed by China known as the Belt and Road initiative, says a professor at the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China (RUC), Wang Yiwei.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Ms. Wang Dongmei, Executive Secretary of the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA). African media have been urged to source stories on China from Chinese media outlets to get the true picture on issues in the country.

Smart grab The Sunon Asogli Power Plant is the Shenzhen Energy of China’s first and major investment in Africa. By Edmund Smith-Asante, GUANGZHOU & SHENZHEN The Asogli Power Plant co-founded by the Shenzhen Energy Group. Shenzhen Energy Company Limited’s ¥1.38 billion investment in Ghana’s power sector makes the country the largest beneficiary of investment from the Guangdong Province in Africa, officials from the province’s foreign office have said.

Smart grab Leading ICT brand Huawei Technologies says its attention to and heavy investment in research and development is largely responsible for its success on the global market. By Edmund Smith-Asante, SHENZHEN One of the ICT equipment on display in the company's showroom. Leading ICT Company Huawei Technologies has attributed its success in the telecommunication industry to its uncompromising stance on research and development which currently involves 45 per cent (80,000) of its about 180,000 employees.

Smart grab Organisers of the world’s largest trade fair, the Canton fair, have expressed optimism that more African countries would take advantage of the fair which has so far attracted only four countries from the continent. By Edmund Smith-Asante, GUANGZHOU One of the many entrances to the fair complex. PICTURE BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Every year since 1957 the world’s business community has gathered in Guangzhou in the Guangdong Province of China to exhibit their goods and look for more buyers but no business in Ghana has ever taken part.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Ms. Gao Xiangyang (left) explaining   some issues to two African journalists from Ethiopia and Malawi The Deputy Director General of the African Affairs Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Ms Gao Xiangyang, has indicated that the CPC appreciates its fruitful relations with Ghana’s two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as 58 other political parties from 40 African countries.

Smart grab The Chinese government has stated that it has no strings attached to its assistance to Africa but desires a sincere and mutually beneficial relationship with the continent. By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING There are no strings attached to China’s assistance to Africa as is being alleged, the Deputy Director General of the African Affairs Department at China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Dai Bing has stated.

Smart grab The Chinese government has asked for greater collaboration with the Ghana government to fight destruction of the environment by some of its nationals and not to allow a few miscreants to destroy the long-standing relationship that has existed between the two countries. By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mr Dai Bing speaking with some journalists during a break in the meeting. The Chinese government says it is unhappy about the destruction of the environment by some of its nationals in Ghana and has indicated its readiness to collaborate with authorities in Ghana to stop it.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING   Mr. Charles Kayonga, the Rwandan  Ambassador to China speaking at the genocide commemoration. African journalists have been cautioned against pushing an agenda of ethnicity in the discharge of their duties since it had the tendency to incite people into violence.

Smart grab The Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NUCM) is the first university in China to train foreign nationals including Africans in traditional Chinese medicines and offers degree, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes. By Edmund Smith-Asante, NANJING, CHINA   One of the African journalists in an interaction with Ms. Vanessa Kenfack, a student from Cameroon. There are currently over 1,500 foreign students including Africans offering various courses in Chinese traditional medicine (CTM) at the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NUCM).  

Smart grab China has assured Africa of its commitment to all promises of cooperation to the continent but has asked for precision, adherence to time lines and more communication to enable their effective fulfillment.   By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mr. Wang Dong, Director of West   Asian and African Affairs at the Commerce Ministry (right) and Mr. He Jun, Deputy Director at the meeting. In order to enable the effective implementation of its plans to boost cooperation with Africa, the Chinese government has proposed three major steps to African countries.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING A student asking a question at the forum. PICTURE BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE It has therefore, urged the government to reduce the fees to promote the ease of doing business in the country.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING A cross section of the Ghanaian community at the open forum. PICTURE BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Ghana’s Embassy in Beijing has received approval from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to issue passports to Ghanaians living in China.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING  Mr. McArios Akanbong, Acting Head of Mission addressing the Ghanaian residents last Saturday. PICTURE BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Consular officers at Ghana’s embassy in Beijing often have to use their pocket money to help out distressed Ghanaians because of the lack of funds to help such people, the Acting Head of Mission, Mr. McArios Akanbong has said.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, TEMA Workers packaging the finished Yum-mie Instant Noodles into cartons. A Ghanaian manufacturing company, Blow Chem Industries Limited, has established Ghana’s first ever instant noodles factory and Ghana’s first indigenous noodles brand, Yum-mie Instant Noodles.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING Mr Akanbong - acting Head of Mission and the Head of Chancery at Ghana’s Embassy in Beijing, China The acting Head of Mission and the Head of Chancery at Ghana’s Embassy in Beijing, China, Mr McArios A. Akanbong, has stated that there has been an increase in claims by Ghanaians in China that they are political refugees when they are arrested by Chinese authorities.