Recently, I watched a viral video featuring His Excellency Tong Defa, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana. The video containing the ambassador’s comment about illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, sparked intense debate, especially in the comments section. As a Ghanaian who studies China-Africa relations and works within related sectors, I felt compelled to contribute my voice to the conversation, not to defend or attack, but to clarify, educate, and reflect.
This isn’t just about diplomacy or debt. It’s about how we perceive foreign partnerships, economic dependency, and Ghanaians’ role in Ghana’s development challenges. Now, let’s move beyond the surface-level reactions and examine the facts, misconceptions, and uncomfortable truths in this complex relationship.
What Did the Ambassador Say?
According to Ambassador Tong Defa, China’s contributions to Ghana’s development go far beyond galamsey. Critical infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads, national monuments such as the National Theatre, and even the Akosombo Dam, Ghana’s power backbone, were built with Chinese support. These have been overshadowed, and the conversation has been narrowed to illegal mining as China’s only major presence in the country.
Additionally, Tong Defa noted that the destruction of Ghana’s lands isn’t just China’s fault. To him, the landowners and chiefs who are custodians of the lands must also be blamed for the illegal mining mess. His point is, if these people did not give out lands to Chinese and government officials do not sit down silently and watch, choosing to line their pockets, the issue would not have been worth the attention because there would not have been anything called galamsey which is now thriving more than Ghana’s cherished and celebrated cocoa.
The Mixed Reactions
Under the post, many people expressed their feelings, and it was pretty clear that many only have one side of the narrative. While many wondered if the claim by the Chinese diplomat that China contributed to Ghana’s infrastructure growth was free, some wondered why the government does not give those contracts to Ghanaian contractors, which in effect would have eliminated this argument by the Chinese ambassador of his country’s contribution to Ghana’s development.
Aside from the more nationalistic views expressed by many, some argued that the Chinese ambassador was right. To them, if Ghanaians do not give out lands to the Chinese, they cannot walk into any Ghanaian forest and start mining illegally. Some even went as far as accusing traditional leaders and politicians of being in bed with the Chinese in the galamsey saga.
In honesty, both sides are right and their concerns are more than valid, but adding context to the entire narrative will shed more light and make for clarity.
China’s Role in Ghana’s Development Beyond Galamsey
While illegal mining dominates headlines, China’s contributions to Ghana’s development are multifaceted and unmatched in many areas. Chinese contribution cuts across many areas, including road, health, education and energy. Major road infrastructure, such as the Pokuase and Sofoline interchanges in Accra and Kumasi, was built by Chinese contractors. In health, the Lekma Hospital in Teshie was sponsored by the Chinese government as the China-Ghana Friendship Hospital. Though a tool of cultural diplomacy, the Confucius Institutes and scholarships for Ghanaian students to study in China have benefited many Ghanaian youths.
Additionally, iconic structures such as the National Theatre and Cape Coast Stadium were built by the Chinese. The National Theatre was funded by the Chinese government as a gift to Ghana through an interest-free loan, a package which included the construction of the University of Ghana Drama Studio. Energy projects such as the Bui Hydro Dam and its solar power project were also funded by Chinese loans and built by Chinese engineers. This collaboration between the two countries demonstrates that China’s interest in Ghana is not just in mining or the extraction of its natural resources, but more.
So why does galamsey overshadow all this?
Having now been made aware of the above relationship between the two countries, many may ask why the attention has been centred on galamsey. That is a valid yet intriguing question. However, the answer is not hidden in layers of puzzles. Among the numerous reasons, here are some of the prominent ones that have shifted the narration about China’s presence in Ghana to only galamsey.
- Media bias: Negative news tends to spread faster than positive news. Thus, the Ghanaian media, wanting to attract eyeballs in the very competitive landscape, can tend to sometimes be overly biased in their reportage.
- Political rhetoric: Easier to blame foreigners than address local corruption. Of course, no one loves to say their father is a weakling, even if it is obvious. That is the same narrative here. Corruption on the part of local authorities has been a major hindrance to preserving Ghana’s lands and water bodies. Outside of corruption, the soft-handed approach to dealing with foreigners, especially non-Africans who engage in galamsey, has emboldened the Chinese nationals who have found the area lucrative. For instance, the handling of Aisha Huang and the subsequent deportation of many Chinese nationals who were caught in the act without subjecting them to punishment under Ghana’s laws has emboldened many of their counterparts to venture into the dirty business of degrading Ghana’s environment.
- Public sentiment: Many Ghanaians feel shortchanged by past loan agreements. Though the Chinese government has been generous by cancelling some loans, many Ghanaians have bought into the pro-Western narrative that portrays China as trapping African countries with loans. The truth is, China does not force loan terms on African governments, including Ghana; they sign these deals after negotiating what they think is favourable. So that anger should rather be directed at the Ghanaian leaders who secured those bad loans, not the giver of the loans.
The Debt Debate: Does China Exploit Ghana?
This is where things get interesting. Yes, many of these projects were financed through loans. But not all loans are the same, and not all are still being paid. And as stated before, it must be noted that China did not force the loans on Ghanaians; the Ghanaian government, through the people’s elected representatives, signed bad loans for the people to pay.
Here are the facts:
In 2022, China cancelled 23 interest-free loans for 17 African countries. Though the list of beneficiary countries was not made public, Ghana has been a beneficiary of such benevolence from China in the past. In 2007, China forgave Ghana $25 million in interest-free loans through a series of bilateral agreements signed between the two countries. Before that, China in 2002 wrote off 85% of interest-free loans which it gave to Ghana in the 1960s. This was after the country managed to pay 15% leaving the 85% which was equivalent to $53.5 million. Just as recent as 2019, the Chinese government, after writing off a 250 million Yuan debt owed by Ghana, granted the Ghanaian government a 300 million Yuan grant.
In Africa, between 2000 and 2019, China wrote off $3.4 billion in debt owed by African countries and also restructured $15 billion of Africa’s debt owed to China. Considering this expression of goodwill and support by the Chinese government towards Ghana and African governments, it is weird to pin the relationship between the two countries merely on the negatives of galamsey. The Chinese government even took steps to prosecute its citizens who were deported from Ghana for engaging in illegal mining, something the Ghanaian authorities failed to do, even though they had the right and mandate to do.
Just like it did for Zambia, China helped Ghana to secure its 17th IMF bailout in 2017. The support was through an MoU which Ghana signed with its main creditors, including China, to ease its debt servicing burden, enabling it to secure $3 billion of IMF support. That and the others above showed that China was not just a lender but a strategic partner who was willing to stretch a hand when one needed it.
Was the Ambassador Bragging?
Many said Ambassador Tong Defa was bragging about what China does for Ghana. But was he truly bragging? My answer is NO.
If you’ve ever worked closely with Chinese individuals, you’d know that they are generally humble. But when they speak factually about what they’ve done, it may sound like bragging, especially in cultures like Ghana’s where diplomacy often means downplaying impact.
In Chinese culture;
Directness does not mean arrogance. They state facts plainly without fear or favour, and Ambassador Tong Defa did just that. Humility is valued, but so is acknowledging contributions. While the Chinese culture teaches humility, it does not sacrifice acknowledging contributions or efforts on the altar of humility. Both must be recognised and valued.
Tong Defa’s key message
Ambassador Tong Defa may have touched a sensitive part of Ghanaians’ emotions, as the galamsey topic has remained a national issue and generates very strong emotions. But his message was simple and clear: Don’t reduce China-Ghana relations to just galamsey. It is more than the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands. He was also asking Ghanaians to take responsibility for their problems and fight them instead of blaming third parties. If Ghana’s leadership becomes strong and honest today about winning the fight against galamsey, no Chinese national will dare go near any water body or forest reserve to mine illegally.
Final Thoughts
Yes, galamsey is a real issue and is gradually threatening the very existence and survival of our nation. However, Ghanaians must be informed and balanced in apportioning blame. Chinese nationals have found success and freedom in galamsey, and we must all be concerned, but their actions do not define the entire China-Ghana relationship, just like how a few Ghanaian students overstaying their visas in the United States does not mean every Ghanaian student will overstay, prompting Ghana to be placed on visa restrictions.
Let’s give credit where it’s but first, Ghanaians must find courage to hold themselves and their leaders accountable; only then can progress be made in the fight against galamsey as well as avoiding supposed Chinese debt-traps.
Note: This isn’t about defending China or attacking Ghana. It’s about thinking critically and finding balance where the narrative is skewed.
What’s your take?
Is galamsey overshadowing China’s positive impact?
How can Ghana negotiate better deals with foreign partners?
How can Ghana tackle illegal mining?
I’m a Master’s Student at Renmin University Of China, studying Contemporary Chinese Studies. I am an alumnus of the University of Ghana, where I was a former executive of the Chinese Students Association Ghana. My interest in the Chinese language drives my passion for studying in China, its rise to global power, and how it relates to the international world, especially African Countries.
