Ghana and China have agreed on a three-point strategy to tackle illegal mining, strengthen technical cooperation in geological surveys and promote responsible investment in Ghana’s mining sector.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and China’s Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Sun Shuxian, on the sidelines of the 2026 China Mining Conference in Tianjin, China.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah, who led the Ghanaian delegation together with Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, said the collaboration would focus on monitoring Chinese companies operating in Ghana, strengthening geological survey capacity and promoting green mining technology.
“This is very important in how we collaborate on critical areas of the natural resources sector. This includes how to work with them in policing Chinese companies that are working in Ghana to make sure that they meet the highest standards,” he said.
The Lands Minister said the agreement would also provide a pathway for Chinese nationals found to be involved in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, to face appropriate sanctions in both countries.
“Those who are found to have broken the law, especially those who engage in illegal mining activities (galamsey), are not only punished in Ghana, but we have a pathway where the Chinese will also police their people who are working in Ghana,” he said.
He said the two countries would also collaborate on geological surveys and mapping, environmental protection, technology transfer and the development of green mining technologies.
“We are also collaborating with them on green mining technology, environmental protection and technology transfer. Critically, we will be working with them on geological surveys and mapping. These are very critical breakthroughs,” he said.
Both sides agreed to establish a technical team to develop and implement the agreed areas of cooperation.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah described the outcome of the meeting as a breakthrough in efforts to streamline Ghana’s mining industry and attract responsible investment.
He said the engagement was significant because Ghana had not had direct discussions with the Chinese authorities on the issues for about five years.
Mr Sun Shuxian expressed China’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Ghana in geological surveys, technological innovation, geological mapping and the assessment of critical mineral resources.
He proposed that the two countries work together to map key mineral-bearing areas and assess the potential of critical mineral resources.
“We are ready with you, and our proposal is that we suggest more collaboration on the Geological Survey and technological innovation. I suggest that we can together work on geological mapping and the critical mineral resources potential assessment of the key metallogenic belts,” he said.
The Chinese Deputy Minister said China was prepared to provide satellite remote sensing, airborne geophysical surveys and other technical support to help Ghana address gaps in its geological data, particularly in areas that remain unmapped.
He also proposed the establishment of joint laboratories to support geological prospecting for minerals such as gold and lithium, as well as increased capacity-building and personnel exchanges between the two countries.
“On an annual basis, we can send our technicians to each other’s country to help with joint training on field studies so we can help Ghana with technical support,” he said.
Mr Sun said the China Geological Survey would follow up on the proposed technical cooperation.
He also welcomed Ghana’s decision to designate a focal person to coordinate the implementation of the agreement.
“I’m happy that you have identified a focal person to follow up on our collaboration so that our meeting would not just be about talking but walking the talk,” he said.
He said China’s Department of International Cooperation would serve as the primary focal point for advancing the collaboration, while both countries could establish a dialogue mechanism to facilitate practical exchanges on sustainable mining, mineral resources development and intelligent mining.
The Chinese Deputy Minister invited Mr Armah-Kofi Buah and the Ghanaian delegation to visit China’s Ministry of Natural Resources in Beijing for further discussions on future areas of cooperation.
The Chinese delegation also shared its experience in rehabilitating abandoned mining pits as part of efforts to promote environmentally responsible mining.
Mr Sun said China had adopted stringent environmental standards for mining operations and allocated significant resources towards restoring degraded mining sites.
“I’m happy to hear that you emphasized the importance of the development of green mining, because that is what China is doing now,” he said.
According to him, China’s central government allocates about one billion Chinese yuan annually to rehabilitate abandoned mining pits.
“In this process, we have accumulated some good practices and experiences. So we very much would like to share these experiences and practices with our Ghanaian friends,” he said.
Other Ghanaian officials at the meeting included the Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh; Director-General of the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, Dr Prosper Aduah Akaba; and Chief Executive Officer of GIISDEC, Williams Okofo Dartey.