Ghana must convert its engagement with China on minerals into investment, technology transfer, value addition and sustainable jobs, analyst Mathias Bonzo-Ewereko Boateng has argued.

Mr Boateng said Ghana’s participation in the 2026 China Mining Conference and Exhibition in Tianjin should be assessed by the tangible economic outcomes that emerge from the engagement, rather than meetings, agreements or diplomatic appearances.

He said potential Chinese partnerships should prioritise establishing processing and refining facilities in Ghana, technology and skills transfer, stronger participation of Ghanaian businesses in mineral supply chains, and infrastructure to support industrial production.

According to him, Ghana must also secure opportunities for local companies to access international markets while ensuring that a greater share of the value generated from the country’s mineral resources remains within the domestic economy.

“Ghana should increasingly view critical minerals as part of its economic and diplomatic toolkit,” Mr Boateng said, arguing that access to strategic resources should enable the country to negotiate for processing, technology, infrastructure, manufacturing, training and market access.

He identified lithium, manganese, bauxite, iron ore, graphite, cobalt and rare earth elements as minerals whose growing global importance allows Ghana to strengthen its economic diplomacy and bargaining position.

Mr Boateng, however, cautioned Ghana against becoming overly dependent on China or any other single external partner. He advocated a pragmatic, independent and multi-aligned approach involving China, the United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, India and African partners according to Ghana’s national interests.

He further called for closer coordination among the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Lands and Natural Resources; Finance; Trade, Agribusiness and Industry; the Minerals Commission; the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and relevant private-sector stakeholders to develop a coherent negotiating position.

He said Ghana’s diplomatic missions, particularly the embassy in Beijing, should play a stronger role in economic diplomacy by identifying credible investors, facilitating government-to-government engagement, promoting Ghanaian businesses and connecting local enterprises to international supply chains.

Mr Boateng said major mineral engagements should also be subjected to measurable accountability, including clarity on investment commitments, processing levels in Ghana, infrastructure, jobs, Ghanaian business participation, technology transfer, fiscal benefits and implementation timelines. He said Ghana–China relations could become an instrument of national transformation if mineral diplomacy is deliberately linked to industrialisation, employment, technological advancement and long-term economic development.