Accra, April 6, GNA - Mr Gong Jianzhong, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, on Wednesday said over 15,000 Ghanaians who applied to visit China in 2010 were issued with visas.

He said Ghanaians, who visited China, did so for various reasons including transaction of businesses.

Mr Gong, who was speaking during a courtesy call on Mr Martin Amidu, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, noted that the number was a little higher than for 2009, which was around 14,000. He expressed satisfaction about the booming bilateral relations between the two countries and commended the President for his visit to China last September, which helped to cement the relationship between the two countries.

Mr Gong called for more education on the legal framework concerning bilateral relations between the two countries as it would help the business community to understand the law governing trade in either country. He noted that about 500 Chinese companies had so far registered to do businesses in the country with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Gong presented a scholarship package to be awarded by the Chinese Government to two staff to be trained in Chinese laws governing trade in China.

Mr Amidu lauded the high rate at which China was developing as well as bilateral trade ties between the two countries. He called for more understanding of issues regarding trade between the two countries, the promotion of exchange programmes as they deepened one's knowledge on the legal framework of trade-related issues governing the two countries.