High end Interview | Exclusive Interview with President Zisecede of the Democratic Republic of Congo for Modernization | China | High end

Focus on international issues and gain insight into global trends. The guests of this episode's "High end Interview" dialogue are from the second largest country on the African continent in terms of area. This is his first state visit to China since taking office.How is this a visit that carries on the past and opens up the future? As a resource rich and populous country that has been plagued by wars and faced challenges in economic development for many years, how will his country embark on its own path of development? How will he address the various challenges facing national development? Next, let's approach Congo, known as the "heart of Africa", and work together with President Zisekdi to find answers in the dialogue.

Wang Guan: President Cisekhdi, welcome to China. Thank you for accepting the exclusive interview on the "High end Interview" program. We are deeply honored.

Cisekdi: Thank you.

Wang Guan: You have been in China for several days and have visited multiple Chinese cities. What impression did this visit leave on you? In your eyes, what does China look like?

Before this, I had never been to China before. Everyone has heard of China, and I have known about China since I was young. The partnership and cooperative relationship between our two countries have been going through more than fifty years now. My impression of China is very, very good, and we were warmly welcomed during this trip. China is a beautiful country, and every city I visit is very, very beautiful, very modern. I would like to congratulate China on successfully achieving modernization. We still remember in the 1960s, China and Congo were basically at the same economic level. The leapfrog development achieved by China is breathtaking. This model is exactly what I want to imitate and replicate in our country, which is why I really appreciate everything I see in China.

Wang Guan: Mr. President, we noticed that during your visit to Beijing, you laid a wreath at the Monument to the Chinese People's Heroes, and you also visited the CPC History Exhibition Hall. Why go to these places? What are your feelings and insights on site?

Zisekdi: It's very simple because there are similarities in the history of our two countries. China has experienced poverty, and so has Congo; China has experienced famine, and so has Congo. But at the same time, China has its advantages, it knows how to leverage its strengths to overcome the above problems. That's why I believe China's development model will bring enlightenment to Congo. I really want to come here and see how China has achieved these things. I really want to experience and experience them firsthand.

Crown: China's development path and modernization path are currently a hot topic of global discussion. Many countries appreciate China's development path, while others describe China as an expansionary country. How do you view China's role? How to view China's global image and influence?

Zisekdi: The first thing that comes to my mind is that China is a country with a population of over 1 billion. Not all countries have a population of over 1 billion. How to successfully ensure the safety, food, education, and health of so many people is a huge challenge. Therefore, before judging China, you first need to understand its current situation. I am not the kind of person who criticizes other countries indiscriminately. Firstly, I oppose interfering in the internal affairs of a country; Secondly, I admire China's efforts in addressing the challenges I just mentioned. So I won't judge others casually. On the contrary, I believe we should draw inspiration from what China is doing. Establish friendly relationships because friends can discuss even the most unpleasant things, rather than condemning or excluding China. I respect the past and present of China as a country, and I am confident that we will attach importance to China in the future.

Wang Guan: During your visit, the bilateral relationship has been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. How do you view the new expressions and positioning of bilateral relations? What tangible impacts will the upgraded bilateral relationship bring to the people of Congo and China?

Zisekdi: I just mentioned that the friendship between Congo and China has existed for fifty years. We have made a phased summary of this friendship and cherish issues related to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes between our two countries. Nowadays, we are in a globalized world, so these issues are also related to the world. It is based on these analyses that we feel it is necessary to enhance the level of partnership between Congo and China, making it strategic and comprehensive. Let me give an example. The world is facing the problem of climate change, which is a concern for countries around the world. We can feel from natural disasters that no country can be spared. Congo defines itself as a "country that provides solutions" because we have vast forests that can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, all of which contribute to addressing global climate change. We have strategic minerals for manufacturing power batteries. These power batteries are recyclable and contribute to ecological transformation. On the other hand, China has professional knowledge and resources, and our cooperation can bring solutions to the world. This is why we have decided to enhance the relationship between the two countries, as it can bring some very, very good things to the world.

The statement talked about cooperation in mining and infrastructure, stating that the two countries will consolidate cooperation in the mining sector and solve current problems with a "mutual trust, pragmatism, and fairness" attitude. Many media outlets have mentioned the infrastructure agreement signed between the two countries many years ago when reporting on your visit to China. Is there any latest progress in this cooperation?

Zisekdi: First of all, allow me to mention a few points that I believe are very important among these consensuses. The primary point is peace and security. Peace and security will bring stability, thus shaping an environment conducive to business and investment. Secondly, I believe a very important point among these consensuses is the content related to education, health, and agriculture. If we want to develop the Congo, we must rely on the Congolese people. They must receive education, have a healthy body, and have sufficient food, so food security is also very important. In addition, there is the environment we rely on for survival. For a better world, we must protect it. Finally, there is industrialization, which is the area where we cooperate the most with China and also the area where China invests heavily. Chinese companies have made significant investments in Congo, making China the largest investor in the country. My opinion is that now we don't want to do it again, or rather, we don't want to just do it as a mining site. It's time to keep the minerals extracted in our country for processing in our own country. This will not only create certain added value, but more importantly, it will create wealth and employment opportunities in Congo. China agrees to support the industrialization of our Democratic Republic of Congo. Obviously, industrialization is closely related to infrastructure, infrastructure construction, and energy. These are the two major challenges we will face in the next decade, and China is ready to support us. So we can say that our cooperation and partnership will be a win-win situation in the future.

Wang Guan: There is also an important bilateral agreement, which is that the Central Broadcasting and Television Station where I am located has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Congolese National Broadcasting and Television Station.What do you think is the significance of achieving cooperation? What is the significance of such media cooperation in enhancing South South media cooperation and breaking the control of Western media over the global public opinion field?

Zisekdi: First of all, this kind of partnership and cooperation are very important to us. It goes without saying that we in Congo are far behind in terms of media, and we need to catch up. The media in Congo has not yet achieved modernization. Here, I am referring not only to equipment and technology, but also to training, which we all need. Collaborating with mainstream national media in China will help us improve the media level in Congo. This kind of South South cooperation is exactly what we need, because we also need to promote our culture. Nowadays, various countries are competing, not to mention competing to export, at least for a place in their own culture. For Africa, what we highly value but have not been able to successfully promote is our culture. I believe that exchanges between media in developing countries will spark positive sparks in this regard. As is well known, people's identity is based on culture, and we need these exchanges to promote our culture.

Crown: President Cisekhdi, you mentioned peace, development, and promoting dialogue among civilizations.What do you think of these initiatives?

Zisekdi: All of these initiatives, I believe, are particularly helpful to the Congo and the whole of Africa. We are facing security challenges. I mentioned my own country, but it's not just my own, almost the entire subregion of Africa is plagued by conflicts that hinder development.We need China's support for us. By relying on our position in the Security Council to support our pursuit of peace, we also need China's support for our development. China is already very active on the African continent, investing in many infrastructure projects. Without infrastructure, there can be no development, so such initiatives are more beneficial. Our goal is to establish a win-win partnership. If China invests, it will definitely be profitable, and Africa will also be satisfied, especially as we are building a free trade area on the African continent. Therefore, if everything goes very, very smoothly, Africa will become the world's largest trading market, which will be a market with over 2 billion people. Therefore, in my opinion, China has already taken a favorable position as it is investing in promoting this common market, and in the future, it will definitely become one of the most popular partners in this market under construction.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, abbreviated as Congo, is located in central Africa and is one of the largest French speaking countries in the world. It is adjacent to Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Central Africa and other countries, and is known as the "heart of Africa".

Congo has abundant mineral resources, with copper reserves accounting for 15% of the world's total, cobalt reserves and production accounting for 50% and 70% of the world's total, and tantalum niobium ore reserves accounting for 80% of the world's total... This country, known as the "gem of Central Africa," also contains abundant resources such as forests and water resources.

Crown: I know that Congo is the country with the richest biodiversity in Africa and the second largest in terms of area. There should be many insights to share in protecting biodiversity.

Zisekdi: In our country, there are some natural parks and protected areas where we strive to protect and promote biodiversity, but obviously we still face many challenges. I think we need to raise global awareness. I would like to thank China for taking this issue very seriously. The 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Paris in 2015, committed to protecting the environment, biodiversity, and countries that are paying for pollution in industrialized countries. But these promises have not been kept, so perhaps it's time to start considering now. China's position is very important, ranking among the five permanent members of the Security Council. It can participate in discussions and seek solutions to this issue.

Crown: Mr. President, Congo has abundant natural resources, including mineral resources. 70% of the world's cobalt is produced in your country; In addition, there are gold, diamonds, copper, and so on. Do you think this is a blessing from nature or what some people call a "curse of natural resources"? If it is the "curse of natural resources", how do you plan to change this situation during your tenure?

Chisekdi: I don't want to say it's a curse, but I would say it's the root of our misfortune. Unfortunately, we do not have a forward-looking policy. We were once satisfied with mining, believing that with the money it brought, it would be enough to develop our country. Now we realize that without generating more added value, these minerals have no value, at least compared to the development we hope to see. Our population is about 100 million people, and soon we will know the exact population, as we will simultaneously count the population during the election process. A population of 100 million is a huge number, which cannot be compared to China. It is only one tenth of China's population, and we are the largest French speaking country. There is so much population that needs to be planned, which is why I have an ambitious natural resource processing plan. This is very important, not only for mining but also for agriculture. So far, everything we have done is just mining, not local processing. With local processing, we can create wealth and export products with added value, and the resulting impact will greatly exceed what we currently know. So for us, formulating this policy is really important. I attach great importance to this matter, and I also want to thank China. China has understood our ideas very well and cooperated with us side by side. We will make a noteworthy attempt at manufacturing power batteries in Manono. We have the Congolese government and Chinese companies on one side, and American and European companies as end users on the other. What I want to say is that this is really a win-win industry chain as I imagined, and all parties are very satisfied. First of all, we are no longer just mining sites. We will process our ore domestically, thanks to these Chinese companies who will invest in processing infrastructure, and end users may also be manufacturing electric vehicles in Congo. Anyway, economically, we will become winners, which is good for our respective countries.

Crown: Mr. President, the last question. The country you lead is the most populous French speaking country in the world and the second largest country in Africa in terms of area. Throughout the history of Congo, it is extraordinary. In the 1960s, it gained independence from Belgian colonial rule and later experienced civil war and conflict, which led to further development. What things would make you exhausted and unable to sleep at night in managing such a complex country?

Chisekdi: Indeed, this is not an easy country to lead. I once saw the saying that Congo is one of the five most difficult countries to govern in the world. But there is one thing that can never be taken away from the Congolese people, and that is the passion for living together in this place called the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, we still face many challenges. For me, the most important challenge is security, to bring peace, security, and stability back. Then, what I want to say is to eliminate poverty, because poverty is the root of many difficulties and conflicts, especially conflicts between ethnic groups. One day we will achieve "zero poverty", which is achievable. Just take a look at China and you will know. I mentioned before that there are one billion people in China, yes, there are still challenges in China, but poverty is being eliminated. We only have 100 million people, so it is possible to achieve this goal. On the day we do it, people will change their views on Congo and talk about my country in a different way, giving it more respect.

Crown: Do you think this will happen during your tenure? A change in mindset.

Zisecodi: It shouldn't take more than ten years.

Crown: Sincere wishes to you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to interview you.

Cisekdi: Thank you.

After an interview with CCTV, Congolese President Zisekdi wrote: To the audience of CCTV, I pay tribute to you and wish you all the best in your respective careers. Continue to follow your favorite channels.

President Zisekdi said that China's development achievements have left a deep impression on him, and he also said that China's modernization path has brought many inspirations to Congo and other African countries. Walking alone is fast, but traveling together is far. People look forward to African countries, including China and Congo, working together in more fields and at a deeper level to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes in the future.

Chief Planner | Shen Haixiong

Director System | Li Ting Fan Yun

Producer | Chen Jie Ma Jing

Chief Producer | Pan Linhua, Liu Ge, Yan Min

Producer | Yin Liping Zhao Yunjie

Reporter | Wang Guan and Zhou Tao

Camera | Gao Xin, Han Xu, Zheng Hao

Planning | Shen Lin, Sun Xin, Deng Yutong

Director | Gu Xuejia Xuanjiyou

Translation | Fourier, He Bin, He Shan

Dubbing by Yao Yujun

External Relations | He Zhaojie, Li Tian, Han Shuo, Zhuang Ying

New Media | Wang Jia and Zhang Hongchi

Technical Producer | Kong Zheng

Visual Packaging | Ye Ye and Wang Jing

Post supervisor | Zhao Xin

Post production | Qian Ziqi, Zhang Ningyu, Zhu Xiaopu, Li Xuchen, Yi Bin

Audio | Ma Siyao

Technical Support | Pang Sen, Jiang Kun

Thanks | Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Congo Embassy of the People's Republic of Congo in China Congo National Radio and Television Station