The Chinese Invasion of Ghana - In the national interest?

Last year I wrote an article examining the China/Afrika relationship and wondering if this was a new form of economic enslavement given some of the conditionality's of accepting financial assistance from China and the dangers this could present itself.

This article seeks to identify some of the realities of Ghana's economic relationship with China and some of the consequences this relationship is having on the Ghanaian terrain. This will inform the readership of whether our economic relationship with China is in the national interest.

The article will examine three incidents that have happened recently in Ghana that should make Ghanaians very circumspect as to the nature of the relationship with China.

The first incident is the disturbing evidence that hundreds of Chinese migrants are allegedly participating in illegal gold mining otherwise known in local parlance as Galamsey in the Manso Nkwanta and other districts of the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Their illegal activities sometimes involve the shooting of locals in an attempt to proect their loot.

One of the first questions that spring to mind is that who was responsible for directing these Chinese people to these areas to conduct this illegal activity. Secondly and more importantly how did these people enter the country?

Did they enter the country as genuine migrant labourers or is there something more sinister at play here because it beats my imagination to think that these people came to Ghana solely to operate in illegal mining activities.

Therefore the question that needs to be posed and this is a legitimate one is that were the immigration authorities lenient on these people entering the country?

The second issue that gives cause to concern is that recently in Tema the authorities arrested a number of Chinese citizens who were accused of importing rotten chicken into the country.

This again brings a couple of concerns to the fray – the first being the health implications of consuming this rotten chicken. Had the authorities not been alert and this rotten chicken had found its way to the dinner tables of Ghanaian households then many innocent people would have consumed this rotten chicken and suffered as a consequence.

Additionally, questions must be raised at the authorities at the ports – were they negligent in their duties and allowed rotten chicken to enter the country?

The last issue that raises serious concerns about the Chinese presence in Ghana is that just recently two Chinese companies operating in Ghana, namely Tasly Ghana Limited and Winalot Ghana Limited were charged by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) of selling fake Chinese medicines in Ghana.

This itself is very alarming because these two companies are operating in Ghana in good faith and are selling medicines to the public to alleviate them from their illness and so if as has been proved that these companies are selling fake medicines or medicines that have past their sell-by date then very serious questions need to be posed including why Ghanaians are being exposed to these health risks.

Added to the above are the effects of cheap Chinese textiles on the indigenous textile industry and one must begin to question whether the Chinese invasion into Ghana is in the national interest.

A country like Ghana may need Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) but when the health and livelihoods of its citizens come under threat then serious questions must be raised as to the nature of these foreign investments and whether they really are in the national interest.

One important question to ask is that the Chinese are looking after their interests but who is looking after the interests of mother Ghana!!!

   Comments0