November 12, 2014 – Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Ms. Sun Baohong visited Ashesi to speak with students as part of Leadership Seminar 2 class' Bull’s Eye session. The Ambassador’s talk was on the role of leadership in national growth and development, with a focus on China. 
Using remarkable stories of China’s leadership through the years, Ambassador Sun led students through what she referred to as the “three transformations of China”, a comprehensive examination of the role of leadership in national development, especially for developing economies like Ghana.
Speaking about the earliest transformation, Ambassador Sun highlighted the reforms of Shang Yang, a statesman in ancient China’s State of Qin. She explained how political structures at the time, had helped the statesman enforce decisions in ways that other countries would not have been able to, highlighting the need for leaders to adopt reforms tailored to their own unique conditions.
“Shang Yang’s reforms laid a solid foundation for the unification of China,” the Ambassador explained. “Looking back, the success these reforms rested completely on leadership. If these reforms had been enacted in other places like Athens at the time, it might not have been realised. Athens had a democratic system, and if something was put into vote it would meet with opposition from people who would put their vested interest groups first. Each country had its own conditions to deal with.”
The Ambassador also shared insights into the policies of former leader Deng Xiaoping, focusing on China’s transformation from a planned to market economy, building socialism with Chinese characteristics and current President, H.E Xi Jinping’s overall 5-in-1 plan for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. Ambassador Sun emphasized, that in China where patriotism is central to the world view of citizens, the responsibility for promoting transformation was shouldered by all citizens and leaders in all sectors, including politics, business and non-governmental organisations.
“Do leaders have a moral duty to contribute to national transformation?” Ambassador Sun asked. “I think everyone will respond in the affirmative. But you can see that not many leaders take up this duty. Even when they know the issues, the causes and the solutions, they tend to neglect them for various reasons. However in China, people always aim for self-improvement. No matter what we have achieved, we choose to aspire for something better. ”
Ambassador Sun also addressed questions on Sino-Africa relations, explaining that the Chinese government was committed to engaging Africa on the basis of four key themes: sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith. She highlighted the initiation of a China-Africa Corporation Framework by China’s central leadership, which has expanded Sino-Africa relations across several industries.
The Ambassador also spoke about China’s fight against corruption and protecting the environment, and spent some time interacting with students in the class. She generously donated books on Chinese culture to the University, promising to stay engaged with Ashesi and its work across Africa and the world.