Chinese embassy in Ghana opens visa application center

Chinese ambassador to Ghana Lu Kun (at the podium) speaks at an inauguration ceremony of a China visa application center in Accra, Ghana, on Aug. 10, 2023. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

ACCRA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Ghana on Thursday inaugurated a China visa application center in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to foster easy traveling arrangements for Ghanaian travelers to China.

The embassy said the center, opened with the cooperation of the China Tourism Group Corporation Limited, would ensure quality service and timely processing of visa applications for Ghanaians.

At the inauguration ceremony, Lu Kun, the Chinese ambassador to Ghana, said the center became necessary due to the anticipated surge in the number of Ghanaians who would be interested in visiting China.

"In light of this new situation and drawing on the common international practices, the center is now being opened in Accra. It aims to provide visa applicants with more convenient, high-quality, and efficient services," said Lu. "We believe it will greatly contribute to the bilateral exchanges and China-Ghana relations. I am convinced the center will open a new chapter in the people-to-people exchanges between our two countries."

Lu added that the economic and trade exchange between the two countries has been flourishing, with China remaining Ghana's biggest trading partner.

Mavis Nkansah Boadu, Ghana's deputy minister for foreign affairs and regional integration, welcomed the center, saying that the event marked a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between China and Ghana.

She said Ghana recognized the importance of strengthening its relations with China and fostering greater people-to-people exchanges, adding that the center would help enhance tourism, business ventures, academic collaborations, and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

She also announced that Ghana would reciprocate the laudable effort by the Chinese government to roll out new visa application systems with enhanced security features strengthened by a machine-readable visa hardware system.