The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says Ghana must model its aspiration to become a trade and industrial hub in West Africa along the lines of Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong is officially described as a special administrative region because of the unique political, economic and social space it occupies in China due to its colonial history, from which it emerged as an enviable hub for international trade, finance and investment,” Ms Botchwey said.
Ghana, she said, also had long nursed an aspiration to become a trade and industrial hub in West Africa, stressing, “this could be modelled on Hong Kong.”
Ms Botchwey said that in an address at an international seminar on China’s Development and the future of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) in Accra yesterday.
The seminar, organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), was on the theme, “China’s development and the future of Hong Kong SAR.”
The minister said the unique political, economic and social space Hong Kong occupied in China had made it an enviable hub for international trade, finance and investment in the world.
She stated that adapting the Hong Kong model, coupled with the choice of Ghana to host the secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, could make Ghana the preferred destination for international trade in Africa.
The Chairman of the IEA Board, Dr Charles Mensah, said the seminar was being held to explore the relationship between Hong Kong and China and its implications on trading partners such as Ghana.
Touching on the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, Ms Botchwey said, “While one cannot deny the geopolitical dimension or significance of the crisis in Hong Kong, the fact remains that Africa’s prosperity is closely linked with China’s peace and stability.”
She explained that one of the cardinal principles of Ghana’s foreign policy was respect for the right of self-determination of all peoples.
At the same time, she said, “we believe in the peaceful resolution of disputes within and among sovereign entities.”
Ms Botchwey commended the organisers of the seminar for interrogating the special relationship between China and Hong Kong and its impact on governance and development.
