Analysis of Felix Tshisekedi’s state visit to China
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi traveled to Beijing, capital of China, at the invitation of his counterpart Xi Jinping, from May 24 to 29, 2023, for a state visit. This visit is considered a turning point for the Congo in its economic and trade cooperation with China.
During this visit, the two Heads of State assessed the state of historical relations and friendship between the two countries, which have lasted for more than 50 years, and worked to establish a partnership of global strategic cooperation. The discussions mainly focused on strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, education, health, mining, public finance, security and digital.
Félix Tshisekedi also met with officials from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, thus confirming the importance of the country as a commercial partner of the DRC.
This visit is of particular importance for the Democratic Republic of Congo, which hopes to rebalance the terms of the agreement signed in 2007 between the two countries, considered “the contract of the century”. This agreement allowed China to exploit the mineral wealth of the Congo in exchange for building infrastructure such as roads, railways and hospitals. However, an investigative report had revealed that the deal was skewed in favor of China.
The Congolese president therefore urged the DRC negotiators to watch over the country’s national interests during the discussions of the revitalized bilateral joint commission.
In short, this State visit to China marks an important turning point for the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is seeking to strengthen its cooperation with China in key sectors such as energy, mining and digital technology, while ensuring its national interests