: Congo

Author: Zhang Xiang / Che Xiaomei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: In the heart of Africa, there is a mighty river surging across the equator, roaring into the Atlantic Ocean. Its immense flow creates a vast freshwater zone dozens of kilometers offshore at the estuary, enabling passing ocean-going ships to obtain fresh water without nearing the shore. This is the famous Congo River, the second-longest river in the world, second only to the Amazon River in South America. The two countries on its banks are named after it. To distinguish them, the country on the western bank is called Congo (Brazzaville), abbreviated as Congo (B), while the one on the eastern bank is called Congo (Kinshasa), abbreviated as Congo (K). The ecological environment of tropical rainforest and tropical grassland makes Congo (B) lush and vibrant, with flowers and fruits scattered everywhere, breathtakingly beautiful. This is the country we introduce to our readers in this book. Congo (B) has a population of 3.1 million (as of 2001) and an area of 342,000 square kilometers, equivalent to 60% of the area of France. Before establishing an independent nation, it was known as Moyen-Congo (Central Congo). After gaining independence on August 15, 1960, it was renamed the Republic of Congo (La République du Congo). On December 31, 1968, it was renamed the People's Republic of Congo (La République Populaire du Congo), and on June 4, 1991, it was once again renamed the Republic of Congo. Historically, Congo (B) has many distinctive features that attract attention. First, in Central and Southern Africa, it was one of the first regions to enter ancient civilization. The 56 ethnic groups in Congo (B) and the various ethnic groups in Central and Southern African countries all belong to the Bantu linguistic group. The Bantu people began migrating south of the equator as early as the first century. The ancient civilization they established was the Kingdom of Kongo, and part of its territory was within what is now Congo (B), placing its civilization at the forefront of Central and Southern Africa. Second, in modern times, France grouped Central Congo with Gabon, Oubangui-Chari (now the Central African Republic), and Chad to form the French Equatorial Africa colony. Brazzaville served as the administrative center. The colonizers invested relatively more in Congo (B) for the sake of governance, which led to higher levels of economic, cultural, and educational development compared to other Central African regions. Third, Congo (B) is a transportation hub in the equatorial African region. Due to its extensive river network and well-connected transportation, combined with a railway connecting the inland shipping network to one of Africa's three major seaports, the Port of Douala, it has become a transit point for import and export trade in Central African countries and a strategic location. Fourth, Congo (B) gained independence in the "Year of Africa" in 1960 and is one of the earliest independent countries in Africa, as well as a founding member of international organizations like the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Although it is a small country, its name frequently appears in international affairs, holding a relatively prominent position and playing an important role. Fifth, Congo (B) is rich in resources, with timber and oil as its two major economic pillars. It is the third-largest oil producer in Southern Africa, and the prosperity of oil production and trade has driven rapid economic growth, once reaching a per capita GDP of $1,200 and being listed by the United Nations as a middle-income developing country. Sixth, at the turn of the century, the wave of multi-party democracy swept across the entire African continent. Led by Sassou, the Congolese government was among the first to announce the abandonment of one-party rule in favor of a multi-party system. This move shocked the world. After eight years of practice and exploration, Sassou returned to power and was formally re-elected as president in the 2002 election, a rare event in African politics. Congo (B)'s efforts to establish a relatively effective legal and political system with African characteristics have attracted global attention, and it has achieved notable results in resolving internal conflicts and regional disputes. Congo (B) is one of the early countries in Black Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China and was once the only Central African country to do so. Since the establishment of formal diplomatic ties on February 2, 1964, the relationship between the two countries has remained good. All of Congo (B)'s former presidents—Matsanga-Kasongo, Ngouabi, Yombé, and Lubamba—have visited China. After Sassou's second term in office, he visited China for the seventh time, often saying, "Whenever Congo (B) faces difficulties, China always provides direct and decisive help." He expressed great satisfaction with the cooperation between the two countries. China has provided assistance to Congo (B) through more than 20 turnkey projects, and the medical team from Tianjin, China, has been stationed in the country for 40 years, with a total of 17 batches and over 500 personnel. This has fostered deep friendship between the two peoples. The people of Congo (B) need to understand China, and the Chinese people need to understand Congo (B) even more. This book was written to meet this need. It is one of the volumes in the major project "Studies on Countries" by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Launched in 2000, it was completed in May 2003 after more than two years of effort. I, Zhang Xiang, and Che Xiaomei (Associate Professor of History at Shanxi Normal University) were responsible for the writing. Due to our past teacher-student relationship, we did not divide the chapters by conventional standards but adopted a workflow approach for all sections. During the writing process, we engaged Yu Wensheng from the Institute of Modern International Relations to assist in collecting materials. She has expertise in French and specializes in French-speaking Africa, and later, during her studies in France, she remained concerned about the book's materials. Many of my colleagues who worked in Congo (B) as aid workers also provided us with vivid firsthand materials. Special thanks go to Dr. Wu Funing, Director of the Tianjin Tianhe Hospital and leader of the Chinese medical team in Congo (B), and Guo Jia, the translator, who conducted surveys in Congo (B) for work-related reasons and stored some valuable text and image materials in their computers, which were extremely useful. Professor Bai Jizhu from the School of Mathematics at Nankai University visited Congo (B) multiple times between the 1970s and 1990s, teaching at universities and secondary schools, and the pictures and materials he brought back also greatly helped us. After completing the manuscript, we invited Jiang Xiang, who had served as an ambassador in Africa and worked in Congo (B) in the 1970s; Zhu Junfa, former Director of the African Bureau of the Ministry of the United Front Work Department; Xu Zhongnan, former President of Tianjin Tianhe Hospital and twice-leader of the Chinese medical aid team to Congo (B) in the 1980s and 1990s; and the aforementioned Wu Funing and Bai Jizhu to review the entire manuscript. Their feedback was highly valuable in our revision process, and we sincerely thank them all. African studies in China are relatively underdeveloped, particularly in the accumulation of materials and basic research on French-speaking Africa. This was an unfavorable condition when writing this book, compounded by my insufficient understanding and research on the country. Therefore, this book may have certain shortcomings, and we sincerely hope that experts, foreign affairs workers, and readers will kindly offer their guidance. Zhang Xiang, Vice President of the China-Africa Studies Association and Professor of History at Nankai University, May 2003, Nankai Campus
Congo is the abbreviation for the Republic of Congo, commonly referred to as Congo (B). It is located in Central Africa and was known as Central Congo before gaining independence in 1960, when it was a French colony. Congo (B) is a lush country near the equator, bordered by Congo (Kinshasa) across the Congo River. The Bantu people established an ancient civilization here in the first century. In modern times, it became the political, economic, and cultural center of French Equatorial Africa. After gaining independence in 1960, it became a middle-income developing country based on its oil and timber economy. Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1964, the relationship has remained good. China has sent 17 batches of medical teams to Congo (B), which have been stationed there for 40 years.