Ghana has emerged as a significant partner in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s global engagement strategy, ranking 18th out of 101 countries worldwide and 5th in Sub-Saharan Africa in the newly released 2024 China Index.
The Index, published by the Taiwan-based Doublethink Lab as part of its China in the World (CITW) initiative, provides the most comprehensive comparative study to date on PRC influence across media, military, technology, politics, and other key sectors.
According to the report, China’s influence in Ghana is most pronounced in the Military Domain, where Ghana ranks 6th globally, highlighting the strength of bilateral defense ties. This includes Ghana’s active participation in PRC-led security forums, joint naval exercises, and receipt of Chinese-donated military equipment—a pattern the report describes as reflective of a “stable and well-established relationship.”
“Ghana’s military cooperation with China has placed it at the forefront of Beijing’s strategic partnerships in Africa,” the report states.
Deepening Technological and Diplomatic Ties
Beyond military cooperation, China’s influence in Technology and Foreign Policy also remains significant. While Ghana’s Foreign Policy ranking dropped from 16th to 34th, its score actually increased slightly, suggesting that the change is due to China expanding its diplomatic footprint elsewhere rather than any shift in Ghana’s alignment. Ghana continues to support China’s One China Principle, which considers Taiwan an inalienable part of the PRC, and remains silent on contentious issues like the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
In the Technology Domain, Ghana ranks 21st globally, with Chinese companies playing an instrumental role in building digital infrastructure, including smart city initiatives, rural internet access, and local tech workforce development. This technological involvement reflects a growing structural dependency on Chinese expertise and investment in Ghana’s digital future.
Influence on Governance Norms Raises Concerns
The Index also raises concerns about Chinese influence on governance and law enforcement norms in Ghana. One of the assessed indicators confirms that Chinese entities have provided judicial and law enforcement training for Ghanaian officials. Supporting evidence notes that “a significant number of Ghanaian law enforcement officers have been trained in China.”
This form of influence, the report suggests, is part of China’s broader effort to shape global governance standards and build alliances in support of its international positions.
Ghana in the Global Rule-Making Landscape
Ghana’s combined scores in Military, Law Enforcement, and Foreign Policy Domains place it 12th globally in what the China Index terms the Rule-making Cluster—a category that evaluates a country’s alignment with China in shaping global security and diplomatic norms.
This high ranking, analysts say, is not surprising given Ghana’s participation in Chinese-led diplomatic and security initiatives, and its voting patterns or silence on key issues in international fora.
About the China Index
The China Index is the first international project to measure and compare China’s overseas influence systematically. It is composed of 99 indicators spread across nine domains, with responses and data collected by hundreds of regional experts and validated by local reviewers. Ghana’s data was gathered and analyzed by journalist and academic Emeka Umejei, in collaboration with policy analysts and researchers.
Doublethink Lab, the organization behind the China Index, is a civil society organization based in Taiwan that focuses on digital authoritarianism, state-sponsored disinformation, and psychological operations. Its CITW initiative aims to strengthen democratic resilience by exposing and understanding how China expands its global reach.
Looking Ahead
While Ghana continues to benefit from strong bilateral ties with China—particularly in defense and technology—the China Index urges policymakers and civil society to remain vigilant about the implications of deepening PRC influence in areas such as governance standards and national security cooperation.
The full 2024 China Index report and raw data are expected to be available for public download soon. For additional insights and expert interviews, stakeholders are encouraged to contact alda@doublethinklab.org.
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