During a special interactive session with participants of the Ghana-China Media Fellowship 2025, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ghana, H.E. TONG Defa, reaffirmed China’s commitment to its global climate responsibility by restating the country’s policy to cease funding coal power projects overseas.
The session, held on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the ACCPA training center in Accra, formed part of the 12-week fellowship designed to build the capacity of Ghanaian media professionals on Ghana-China relations. The ambassador’s remarks aligned with China’s broader pledge announced by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, where China committed to stop building new coal-fired power plants abroad.
This pledge marked a significant shift in global energy financing, as China had previously been one of the largest financiers of coal infrastructure worldwide, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). According to research from the Global Energy Monitor and Boston University, prior to the 2021 announcement, Chinese institutions were involved in more than 70% of all coal plants under construction globally outside China.
Since the announcement, several planned coal projects have been suspended or canceled, and Beijing has signaled a strategic shift toward supporting green energy and sustainable infrastructure in partner countries. The reaffirmation by Ambassador TONG during the fellowship engagement underscores China’s continued alignment with international climate goals, including the Paris Agreement and the pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2060.
IMAGE: H.E. TONG Defa, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, delivering a presentation on Chinese modernization during his engagement with the Ghana-China Media Fellows.
The Ghana-China Media Fellowship, hosted by the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory (ACCPA), offers journalists practical insights into China’s policy approaches, economic cooperation, and global commitments. The ambassador’s visit provided fellows with a first-hand understanding of China’s evolving environmental diplomacy and its implications for Africa.
The interaction also highlighted China’s push to promote renewable energy technologies and climate-smart investments across developing countries, including in Africa, where the demand for clean and affordable energy remains high.
Source: ACCPA