China’s Embassy in Ghana has sharply criticised comments by the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister, after he questioned the motives behind Beijing’s trade relations with Ghana.
Mr McAllister had asserted that, unlike the European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Ghana — which he described as “balanced and sustainable” — China’s trade model was driven by “different motives and values.”
In a strongly worded statement issued in Accra, the Chinese Embassy dismissed the claims as “false allegations,” calling them “as absurd as they are ridiculous.”
“The zero-tariff treatment is China’s initiative to voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider,” the statement said, insisting that the policy was designed to support Ghana’s export expansion and improve its trade balance.
The Embassy added that the popularity of Chinese goods in Ghana reflected market demand rather than manipulation, saying: “You can get a prime with just a dime, which is the free and independent choice of Ghanaian importers. Just ask the buzzing crowd of locals at China Malls.”
Beijing also highlighted its role in Ghana’s economic development, citing figures from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) showing that China was Ghana’s largest investment partner in the first half of 2025, leading with 22 projects. “Which other partner dares to claim comparable contributions?” the statement challenged.
The Embassy further noted that President John Dramani Mahama had recently announced Ghana’s decision to finalise the early-harvest agreement under the zero-tariff scheme during his meeting with President Xi Jinping in China two weeks earlier.
“Ghana, as a sovereign state, has every right to choose its partners,” the statement said, advising Mr McAllister to “listen more and lecture less” and to focus on promoting “European trade policies in favour of African development.”
Neither Mr McAllister nor the European Union Delegation to Ghana has yet responded publicly to the Chinese Embassy’s remarks.
