ACCPA Organises Media Workshop To Enhance Africa-China Relations And Foster Bilateral Ties

The Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory (ACCPA) on Wednesday, June 21, held a one-day workshop for media professionals in Ghana on Africa-China relations.

The training which had in attendance media professionals from diverse media platforms was aimed at enhancing Africa-China relations and fostering bilateral ties.

The Executive Director of ACCPA, Paul Frimpong, in his presentation, touched on why China is the perfect partner and how the media plays a critical role in strengthening the said relations.

He traced the rise of Sino-Africa relations back to the late 1990s when numerous African nations sought critical infrastructure. He said China emerged as the primary country offering support, resulting in tangible infrastructure development throughout Ghana.

“In May 2000, the entire continent of Africa was labeled the hopeless continent by the Economist Magazine. This, in many ways, was the broader sentiment shared by Europe and the West, led by the US. Africa was seen as nothing less than a death zone and certainly not zone and certainly not a place to do business or invest.

“The continent was used as a do-good-aid dumping ground. What is significant is that it was at this point that the continent needed tangible investment and needed partners ready to help build these economies. This was when China showed up, stepped up, and provided a platform for engagement with Africa,” he recounted.

He believes their showing up is a clear case of “a friend in need is a friend indeed”.

Adding his voice, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Professor Jimin Wang, stressed the need for China and Ghana to collaborate at different levels to bring developments to both countries.

He said, already his outfit, the Confucius Institute, has various programs such as language classes, exchange programs, and work opportunities, available to help the youth and working force.

Mr. Wang added that scholarship opportunities are also available for students to pursue their Masters and doctoral studies in China.

A Senior Research Fellow at ACCPA, Dr. Isaac Ankrah, also stressed the pivotal roles media reporting and analysis play in the country’s engagement with international partners.

The selected participants also had the opportunity to learn how to interact and conduct interviews in Chinese.

The media training event was organized jointly by ACCPA and the Confucius Institute.

ACCPA is a Sino-African research and policy think tank and advisory firm headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

The Centre is dedicated to providing unbiased policy and market research as well as distinct views on Africa-China relations.