China’s governance model, anchored on the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), offers valuable lessons for developing countries seeking sustainable development, political stability and improved living standards, Mr Cong Song, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, has said.

He said the CPC’s 105-year journey demonstrated that countries could pursue modernisation based on their own national circumstances without necessarily following Western development models.

Speaking at an Inter-Party Roundtable and Press Briefing in Accra to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, the Ambassador said China’s development experience was rooted in strong leadership, people-centred governance, strict party discipline and long-term national planning.

Mr Cong said President Xi Jinping’s recent address marking the Party’s anniversary underscored the CPC’s commitment to maintaining political stability, fighting corruption, promoting common prosperity and advancing global peace through initiatives aimed at fostering shared development.

He said the Party’s success over the past century had enabled China to eradicate absolute poverty, modernise its economy and become one of the world’s leading contributors to global development.

“By successfully leading Chinese modernisation, the Communist Party of China challenges the myth that modernisation equals Westernisation and expands the pathways to modernisation for developing countries,” the Ambassador said.

He stressed that China did not seek to export its political system but encouraged countries to learn from one another while pursuing development paths suited to their own realities.

Mr Cong said China’s Four Global Initiatives; the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative; were already delivering practical benefits across Africa through infrastructure development, peacekeeping, educational exchanges and expanded trade.

He cited China’s implementation of zero-tariff treatment for African exports, continued support for the Belt and Road Initiative, contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and advocacy for greater African representation in global governance institutions as evidence of Beijing’s commitment to the continent.

Ms Samia Nkrumah, former Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), traced the long-standing friendship between Ghana and China to the vision of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Chairman Mao Zedong.

She recalled that Ghana established diplomatic relations with China shortly after becoming a republic in 1960 and championed China’s restoration to the United Nations in the early 1960s.

Ms Nkrumah said successive Ghanaian Presidents, regardless of political affiliation, had maintained cordial relations with China, reflecting the enduring foundation laid by the two countries’ founding leaders.

She urged African countries to strengthen continental cooperation in engaging China, saying a united Africa would be better positioned to negotiate mutually beneficial partnerships.

She also called for greater emphasis on technology transfer, industrialisation and skills development to complement China’s longstanding support for infrastructure development across the continent.

Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, General Secretary of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, described the CPC as a political movement that had consistently championed anti-imperialism, national liberation and the right of countries to determine their own development paths without external interference.

He said China’s transformation from a predominantly agrarian society into a global industrial and technological power demonstrated what determined leadership and long-term planning could achieve.

Mr Pratt praised China’s poverty reduction efforts, saying lifting more than 100 million people out of poverty represented one of the greatest development achievements in modern history.

He also commended China’s Belt and Road Initiative and zero-tariff policy for African countries, describing them as practical measures capable of deepening Africa-China trade and accelerating the continent’s development.

He reaffirmed support for the One China Policy and called for continued solidarity between China and countries of the Global South in promoting peace, development and a more equitable international order.

Mr Thomas Ayisi, Deputy Treasurer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), conveyed fraternal greetings to the CPC on behalf of the governing party and described the relations between the two parties as one founded on solidarity and mutual respect.

He said the NDC’s own democratic journey, since its establishment in 1992 under the leadership of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, had been guided by principles of accountability, inclusivity and social justice.

Mr Ayisi noted that the Fourth Republic remained one of the party’s most enduring achievements and expressed the hope that cooperation between the NDC and the CPC would continue to inspire future generations to pursue democratic progress and people-centred governance.

Mr Stephen Kwesi Acquah, representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP), congratulated the CPC on its 105th anniversary and reaffirmed his party’s commitment to strengthening Ghana-China relations.

He said the NPP recognised China’s remarkable economic transformation and acknowledged the role successive Ghanaian governments had played in expanding cooperation with China in infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and trade.

Mr Acquah said although the NPP and the CPC subscribed to different political and economic philosophies, both parties shared a commitment to national development, disciplined governance and investment in human capital.

He reaffirmed the NPP’s support for the One China Policy and expressed confidence that party-to-party exchanges would continue to deepen bilateral relations and advance South-South cooperation.

The Inter-Party Roundtable brought together representatives of political parties, academics and civil society to reflect on the CPC’s development experience and explore avenues for strengthening cooperation between Ghana and China amid growing economic and diplomatic relations.