Kinshasa, December 22 (Xinhua) -- Exclusive Interview | Cooperation between Congo and China continues to deepen and become more solid - Interview with Vice Prime Minister Samba of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Xinhua News Agency reporter Shi Yu

On December 18th, Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency in the capital city of Kinshasa. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Benoit Nianba)

Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency in the capital city of Kinshasa that the cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and China has been deepening and solidifying, not only in economic and trade cooperation, but also in cultural and cultural aspects, which has given strong stability to the relationship between the two countries.

Samba recently led a delegation to visit Zhejiang Province, attended the China Africa Economic and Trade and Cultural Forum, and inspected local universities, enterprises, and business platforms. He said that this visit gave him a more intuitive understanding of China's development logic of adhering to opening up to the outside world.

During his stay in Zhejiang, Samba focused on visiting Yiwu and other places, and was deeply impressed by the highly internationalized commercial ecology in the area. In his view, Yiwu is not only an important hub for commodity distribution, but also a place for cultural exchange and convergence. Business exchanges allow people from different countries to better get to know each other

Speaking of the cooperation between Congo and China, Samba pointed out that mining cooperation has long been an important component of the cooperation between the two countries, but the cooperation between the two countries goes far beyond that. From the perspective of land area, climate diversity, water resources, and arable land conditions, the agricultural development potential of Congo (Kinshasa) is enormous. He said that China is a strong agricultural country and hopes that the cooperation between Congo and China can empower the development of agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Samba stated that in the field of infrastructure, the cooperation between China and Congo is transforming into tangible development achievements. He specifically mentioned the Jinsha Ring Road project undertaken by Chinese enterprises, which will "completely change the urban structure and residents' travel patterns in Kinshasa" after completion.

Samba said that the Democratic Republic of Congo hopes to promote local production capacity building and reduce dependence on raw material exports under the framework of cooperation between the two countries. More and more Chinese companies are investing and developing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has effectively promoted the development of local manufacturing and industry. We will also have a 'Little Yiwu' in Kinshasa in the future

Samba pointed out that the cooperation between China and Congo has already gone beyond simple economic and trade cooperation. When he was a child, he had seen agricultural experts from China go deep into the fields, live and eat with local people, and teach rice planting techniques. This became his earliest and most intuitive understanding of the cooperation between the two countries. The imprint left by agricultural technology cooperation with China in the Democratic Republic of Congo still exists today. This form of cooperation that goes deep into the grassroots level is an important feature of the relationship between the two countries.

Samba emphasized that China is a trusted partner of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The depth of cooperation between the two countries has reached the humanistic level, and this long-term historical accumulation has maintained stability and continuity in the diversified cooperation pattern of the relationship between the two countries.

Samba believes that the Chinese economy is an important driving force for global economic growth. China's experience in economic development and poverty reduction has important reference significance for developing economies, including African countries.

Looking ahead, Samba stated that the cooperation between Congo and China is not only focused on current projects, but also towards long-term development goals. Its significance lies not only in promoting the economic transformation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also in providing sustained impetus for regional stability and common development.

Editor: Cai Ronghan