Ghanaian authorities recently launched a crackdown on illegal gold mining, detaining more than 100 Chinese nationals suspected of illegal gold mining. After consultations between the two countries, the Chinese detainees were released. Most of the areas mined by Chinese have been shut down. He Wenping, Director of African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Western Asian and African Studies, believes that Chinese citizens going overseas to work should familiarize themselves with the relevant laws and regulations of the country where they plan to reside. In the meantime, the Ghanaian Government should not tolerate the violent law-enforcement tactics used by local police.

In recent years, as more and more Chinese citizens have gone abroad to work, China's international job seekers have found themselves making headlines with increasing frequency. At times, upon hearing bad news about their countrymen abroad, China's online community blames the foreign country and its people. China's bloggers and microbloggers often seem reluctant to find fault with their countrymen, who they tend to see as victims.

However, while the frequent arrests of Chinese miners in Ghana can be attributed in part to Ghanaian police tactics, illegal mining activities and some miners' lack of knowledge about environmental protection also contribute to this issue.

Ghana is rich in mineral resources and has strict laws governing its mining industry. According to the Mining and Minerals Act of 2006 (Act 703), issued by the Ghanaian Government, foreigners can neither buy nor mine on small plots under 25 acres. Strictly speaking, it's also illegal for foreigners to mine gold by leasing mineral rights from small local mining businesses. Also, foreign miners must have legal work and residency permits. Besides breaking these laws, some miners have damaged the local environment by not taking environmental protection measures, further straining their relationship with locals.

It is reported that Chinese gold miners see their work in Ghana as a modern-day gold rush, complete with hard work, quick fortunes, tangles with the law and gunfights. Some miners got rich and returned home; some were arrested and sent back to China; some lost their lives in conflicts with local bandits or police and were buried in Ghana.

To prevent these deaths, Chinese citizens going overseas to work should familiarize themselves with the relevant laws and regulations of the country where they plan to stay, and avoid embarking on a potentially dangerous journey, soley for financial reasons. The Chinese Government also needs to strengthen communication with other nations to prevent problems and resolve those problems that do arise.

The Ghanaian Government also needs to take steps to end these conflicts. It should regulate smaller gold-mining agencies, and not allow the chiefs of small mining businesses to sign contracts with Chinese miners. Many Chinese gold miners, unfamiliar with local mining laws and regulations, were the victims of illegal agencies that tricked them into mining illegally.

Also, the relevant agencies and departments of the Ghanaian and Chinese Governments should provide Chinese gold mining investors with information about the laws governing Ghana's mining industry. Important laws should also be published in Chinese to inform Chinese gold miners.

Finally, the Ghanaian police should avoid using violence while enforcing the law. When people are killed by police officers, authorities should investigate and discover who is legally responsible for the death. It has been reported that Ghanaian police officers have at times encouraged local villagers to loot Chinese miners, and destroyed or discarded the passports of Chinese citizens. The Ghanaian Government must not tolerate these acts.