The reconstruction of Congo (Kinshasa) is inseparable from China
In 2021, the leaders of the two countries had a telephone conversation and reached a series of important consensuses, which played a strong political leading role in the healthy and stable development of Congo-China relations. The two countries support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and coordinate closely on major international and regional issues. Congo (DRC) firmly supports the one-China principle.
Over the years, through the signing of a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding covering agriculture, health, trade, infrastructure and other fields, the friendly cooperation between Congo and China has continued to deepen. Among the many agreements, the trade agreements signed by the two countries in 1973 and 1988, the agreement on encouraging and mutual protection of investment signed in 1997, etc., should be pointed out in particular. In January 2021, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the construction of the “Belt and Road”, and Congo (DRC) became the 45th “Belt and Road” partner in Africa.
Under the framework of these agreements and memorandums, China has assisted in the construction of many infrastructures in Congo (DRC), such as the People’s Palace, the Martyrs’ Stadium, and the Central African Culture and Art Center in Kinshasa under construction. Benefiting from the scholarships provided by the Chinese government, many Congolese (DRC) college students and officials have the opportunity to study and train in China. The reconstruction of Congo (Kinshasa) is inseparable from China.
In 2015, Congo and China established a strategic partnership of win-win cooperation. This means that China regards Congo (DRC) as an important partner in Africa, providing a strategic direction for the further development of bilateral relations. Today, China has been Congo’s largest trading partner and major source of investment for many years. In 2021, the bilateral trade volume between Congo and China will be about 14 billion US dollars. The total investment of Chinese enterprises in the DRC mining and infrastructure fields has also exceeded 10 billion US dollars.
In addition to the bilateral framework, Congo-China friendly relations are also reflected in the multilateral level. Since the first ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held in Beijing in 2000, Congo (DRC) has participated in every session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
I believe that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries and taking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity, further deepening cooperation in various fields will surely push the Congo-China relations to a new level.
