Aid, trade and foreign direct investment are typical of China’s global rise and African activity.Center of China Expansion of relationships African countries have infrastructure such as fiber optics, transportation networks and energy generation projects.In addition, China is supporting projects in Africa Not so strict term He loves China more than Western countries, and therefore to African leaders.

Modern China-Ghana relations follow a similar script that Buidum plays an important role in the story. The size of the buoy dam and the amount of money involved sets it apart from previous Chinese-funded projects. National Theater Built in 1993.

The 400 MW dam was completed in 2013 by Sinohydro Corporation of China.that is Volta River Project Delivered Ako Sombo Kupondam in 1965 and 1982. The US Government and the World Bank have funded Akosombo Dam and Kupon Dam. The buoy dam was built about 200 km upstream of Akosombo and Kupon across the Black Volta River in Bono Region.

Prior to China’s involvement, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank rejected the dam proposal due to concerns about environmental sustainability.This continued Research Concerns that Ghana is improperly dealing with socio-economic problems caused by Akosombo Dam and Kupon Dam, due to the World Commission on Dams.

When the turf of the buoy project was reduced in 2007, it represents China’s most important investment in Ghana. In addition, foreign direct investment in Ghana was the second largest after Akosombo Dam.At the expense of $ 790 millionThe dam contained everything China needed to build a positive image.

When construction began in 2006, Ghana was not producing enough electricity. The shortage led to ration. The government advertised the dam as a solution to this problem.Construction promised Creating 4,000 jobs and socio-economic change.

Inside me research We examined the importance of dams in the relationship between the two countries. We saw how China used this project to foster soft power.American political scientist Joseph Nye Soft power is described as the ability to persuade others to want what the country wants. The soft power of a country can be derived from its culture, political values ​​and foreign policy.

Indeed, we conclude that the project has helped Chinese companies expand their market in the decades in between. These include Sinohydro, Shanghai Corporation and China International Water and Electric Corporation. Soft power has also been found to be productive at the macro level, including increased interaction between governments. However, it was restricted at a lower level, including person-to-person relationships.

Beyond soft power

The arrangement between China and Ghana that enabled the completion of the dam is Infrastructure resource framework.. This approach involved exchanging African resources for China-funded infrastructure. Buidum was secured by exporting 40,000 tonnes of cocoa beans from Ghana to China until the project was completed and the electricity sales contract began.

The Ghanaian administration has people who are enthusiastic about China’s involvement. As one Treasury official told me, the buoy wouldn’t have happened without the help of China.

But my research Shows that China, like other African actors, is a selfish player. We used soft power to promote a wider range of foreign policy goals, especially market expansion of businesses and commodities, employment of citizens, and long-term stays of businesses.

This has been achieved in several ways.

The first was due to the structure China uses for all megawater projects. This involves government agencies and private companies operating in China that manage water. Members interact with each other (and outside the network) to build a dam.

Overseas, we are leveraging its influence and power to drive other investments and the creation of other businesses.

The Buidam project is one example. That included China providing member states with labor, engineering and financing opportunities. The role played by Shinohydro demonstrates this. The company handed over the dam to the Ghanaian authorities in 2013, but diversified from the dam to the construction of roads and bridges and stayed in the country.

This project has been approved by the Ghanaian Parliament. Congress has also set up the Buoy Power Department to coordinate and manage the construction of the dam. The contract with a Chinese company had an allocation on the number of Chinese people that could be hired on the project. This was never made public, but I learned it in several interviews with Treasury and Department of Energy officials.

The goodwill generated by the project also allowed private Chinese citizens to visit Ghana and forecast business opportunities. State investment data show that the number of Chinese projects and investments in Ghana has accelerated rapidly over the last two decades. Today, China is not only a major source of foreign direct investment in Ghana, but also a major trading partner and infrastructure financial institution.

Another notable aspect of the growing relationship between China and Ghana is the surge in Chinese immigrants to Ghana and vice versa.The Ghanaian Immigration Department has not disclosed the number of Chinese immigrants, but some have Scholar The number is fixed at around 30,000, which is much higher than the estimate 20 years ago.

Ghana has emerged as an African country Most students in China..

These commercial and related activities and exchanges Belt and Road Initiative..Ghana signed the initiative in 2018 and already Negotiated a $ 2 billion deal Sinohydro will be able to provide infrastructure such as roads and bridges nationwide in exchange for refined bauxite.

Upcoming lessons

Buidum’s achievements provide important lessons for future involvement between China and Ghana.

Ghana must look beyond the good stories of China and try to engage on equal terms. The Belt and Road Initiative presents new opportunities and challenges that require aggressive and effective state strategies to optimize profits.

It is commendable that the government has set up an advisory board to develop strategies for productive involvement of China. Hopefully that recommendation will help shape the relationship between China and Ghana better and eliminate general asymmetry.

Author: Kwame Adovor Tsikudo-Visiting Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign