China is Africa's all-time friend, said Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) during his stay in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
"Because history shows that China has neither occupied, dominated, nor exploited African people. And yet, there have been historic contacts between China and Africa, the Silk Road. We're talking with President Xi Jinping today about the Belt and Road project. We say yes, China has been Africa's friend for all time. Regarding the [Republic of] Congo, we're talking about 60 years of friendly relations and direct cooperation. Since 1964, this friendship has grown stronger day by day and will continue to grow stronger through the decisions we make today. So we can say yes, it is a friendship, an all-time friendship between China and Africa," he said.
President Sassou Nguesso stated that he and other African leaders will strengthen cooperation with China, as many of these partnerships have already yielded remarkable results.
"More than 50 African heads of state met at the Great Hall of the People. We exchanged views and concluded that we must strengthen this cooperation with China. These are not empty words because in Africa, in every country, there are concrete signs of this cooperation with China; concrete projects have been carried out. We had productive discussions with each other. We didn’t come to China for a vacation, but to work with friends, because we know the decisions we are going to make will have tangible effects on the development of our countries, as they have in the past," he said.
The Republic of Congo has taken its position as the African co-chair of the FOCAC, which the president said is an honor and a responsibility.
"First of all, we thank African leaders and President Xi Jinping for the trust placed in our country. All agreed by consensus that [the Republic of] Congo should co-chair FOCAC for the next three years. For us, this is both an honor and a responsibility. We believe that we will take this responsibility seriously," Sassou Nguesso said.
China is Africa's all-time friend: president of Republic of Congo
