Tong Defa is the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has asserted that it is unfair for Ghanaians to blame Chinese nationals for illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.
During a media interaction in Accra on Thursday, June 19, 2025, the ambassador insisted that it is Ghanaians who are driving the galamsey menace, not the Chinese.
“It is unfair to always blame the Chinese. From my understanding, it is the local people who are involved in and facilitating these illegal activities,” he lamented.
Tong Defa further stated that while galamsey cannot be completely eradicated, it must be regulated to reduce its environmental impact.
“You can never eliminate those small mines. The government must work on a policy to reduce the pollution of water bodies and forests,” he noted.
He also expressed confusion over the tendency to associate galamsey exclusively with Chinese nationals.
“I don’t understand why, when people say galamsey, they automatically associate it with the Chinese,” he said.
The ambassador’s remarks come at a time when public anger over galamsey is high, with civil society organisations and environmental advocates continuing to demand decisive action against illegal mining activities.
Watch the video below:
Fight Against Galamsey: Chinese Ambassador criticizes Ghanaians for increasingly blaming Chinese nationals over galamsey.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/dOv7HEAwIp
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) June 20, 2025
JKB/MA
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