The Chinese government has instructed the Ghanaian government to take firm action against any Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining, locally referred to as galamsey.
During a recent interaction with journalists, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, acknowledged the involvement of some Chinese nationals in galamsey but emphasized that the Chinese government strongly opposes such activities.
“I am aware that some Chinese are involved in illegal mining, but we discourage it.
When I accompanied President Akufo-Addo to Beijing in 2018, our president told him, ‘If any Chinese national commits an illegal act in Ghana, you should enforce your laws accordingly.’ We fully support this and urge you to act within your legal framework. Only a small fraction of Chinese are involved,” he stated in an interview with Joy News.
Illegal mining has become a serious issue, prompting calls for a temporary ban on small-scale mining.
Various professional groups, associations, and unions have also threatened to go on strike if the government does not take immediate action to address the problem.
