Kufuor returns from China, Tunisia working visit

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, returned home Wednesday after addressing separate meetings in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, and the Chinese touristic city of Suzhou.

In Tunis, the Former president was the features personality at this year's Eminent Speaker's Forum of the African Development Bank.

His speech on:"Challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship capacity development in Africa," exhorted African governments to put in place measures to sharpen the entrepreneurship capabilities of their businesses class to enable the to rub shoulders with the best in the world.

At the Second China - Africa Forum in Suzhou, Former President Kufuor called for a mutually beneficial relationship between the two peoples and said Africans to be more astute during negotiations ensure this 'win-win' situation.

The Forum under the theme:"People's Voice, People's Friendship, Cooperation of the People" was attended by about 1,500 delegates including six former heads of state and two current First Ladies.

After the two-day conference, Former President Kufuor was given a tour of some of the scenic scenes in Suzhou and Shanghai.

In Suzhou, he was first taken to the 2500-year old Lingering Garden with its winding canals and rock gardens. The Garden which features a music centre and writing rooms, among others, was occupied by the Japanese during their invasion of China and turned into a stable for horses.

It passed through several private owners after the Second World War, but has now been taken over by the government and is one of the major tourist sites in the city.

The organizers also took the Former President to the Suzhou Industrial Park and Cultural Centre which is collaboration between China and Singapore.

The Park which is flanked by the Jinji River, a major water-way in the city, combines Singapore's 'administrative brilliance and China's 'architectural expertise' to tell the story of the rebuilding of Suzhou from a slum into a modern tourist city on a space of about 20 years.

Former President Kufuor expressed delight at what he saw and praised the foresight of the leaders of the two countries for their achievements. He hoped African countries could cooperate in similar manner to tell their success stories and discussed the possibility of replicating it in Ghana.

In Shanghai, he held talks with the President and faculty members of China Europe International Business School, had a cruise by yatcht on the Huangpu river which is a major waterway in the city, visited the Pudong Expo which details the past, present and future development of Shanghai and the Oriental Pearl Tower which gives a Kaleidoscopic view of the City.**