Business owners across the 16-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, government officials and their counterparts from China have converged in Accra to discuss mutual areas of interests and co-operation at the second edition of the ECOWAS-China economic and trade forum. China hosted the first edition a year ago and Ghana won the bid to host it after several offers from other countries in the sub-region. Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni who opened the forum stressed the need for deepened economic ties between Africa and the Asian giant, China. Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) who led the Chinese delegation, Yu Ping said China is willing to promote Investment Corporation in the ECOWAS region. The President of the Federation of the West African Manufacturer’s Association (FEWAMA) Alhaji Bashir Borodo complained some ECOWAS states have fallen victim to the Chinese onslaught on their private sectors leading to their closure as well as threatening to break the existing bond and friendship. The two-day forum is under the theme “institutionalizing strategic economic partnership between ECOWAS States and China”. Ghana’s deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Dr. J.S Annan announced plans by government to implement a five-year industrial sector support programme (ISSP) intended to encourage growth in the business sector. The project, he said, will cost 350 million dollars. He encouraged Chinese investors to take advantage of fair trade policies existing in West African states to expand their investments.