US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1365

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001365 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF, AF/C, AF/RSA, EB, AND EAP 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
FROM BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AF, CH, ECON, EAGR, EFIN, EMIN, ENRG, ETTC, PHUM, PREL, ETRD, SENV, CF, ENIV 
SUBJECT:  CONGO/B:  CHINESE PRESENCE IN CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE 
 
REFS:  A) STATE 153199   B) KINSHASA 001345 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY:  As was stated in Ref B, Chinese presence 
in the Republic of Congo (ROC) is on the rise.  One 
corporation is constructing a hydroelectric dam, another is 
building low-income housing, another is bringing drinking 
water to low-income communities, and yet another is 
expanding television and radio broadcasting facilities. 
Since the distribution of Ref B did not reach the audience 
Ref A intended, the relevant portion of Ref B is repeated 
below.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  China has assumed a leading role in the area of 
economic development in the ROC.  The China Machinery 
Equipment Corporation (CMEC) entered into a contract with 
the Congolese Government on March 25, 2003, to construct a 
dam on the Lefini River at Imboulou located about 125 miles 
north of Brazzaville.  Construction started in April of this 
year and is expected to be completed in 2009 at a cost of 
some $250 million.  Most of the material for the project 
will be imported from China.  About 500 workers are 
currently employed by the project: 115 Chinese technicians 
and 385 Congolese.  This appears to be China's largest 
projects in Congo. 
 
3.   (U) Another Chinese company called WIETC has a joint 
venture agreement with a construction company called SOPROGI 
to build housing projects.  In the first phase of 
construction, 103 houses will be built in Oyo, a city 
located 187 miles north of Brazzaville in the Pool Region of 
Congo.  This is the region that experienced periodic 
insurgent activity until a peace accord was signed between 
the government and the so- called Ninja rebels in March 
2003.  This project is employing 70 Congolese workers and 12 
Chinese engineers.  On July 15, 2005, this company also 
began construction of low-income housing in Bacongo, a 
district of Brazzaville heavily populated by supporters of 
Pastor Ntumi, the leader of the Ninja rebels.  Housing is a 
major social issue for low-income Congolese, and completion 
of this project will be highly valued by all Congolese, 
including Pastor Ntumi.  The location of these development 
projects in the areas heavily populated by Ninja supporters 
is viewed as an overture by the government to build 
confidence and trust among the people in those areas. 
 
4.   (U) During a recent visit to Brazzaville, the Chinese 
Minister of Communications, Tian Jin, told journalists that 
China is ready to help Congo in the field of television and 
radio broadcasting.  Recalling that China had already built 
the Broadcasting House in Brazzaville where radio and 
television stations are based, one journalist asked the 
Minister how did China intend to become even more involved 
in the sector.  The Minister reportedly replied that China 
attaches great importance to African television.   He said 
China has to maintain good relations with African television 
to establish deeper relations of friendship.  In Congo, he 
said the strategy is to first study the possibility of 
training Congolese in the television industry, because if 
they have the necessary equipment but not sufficient 
training they will not advance.  Then, he said, China would 
assess the equipment needs of the existing channels.  That 
will make easier twinning between Chinese and Congolese 
channels.  He expressed the view that the field of 
collaboration is vast and open and that a lot could be 
accomplished by working together. 
 
5.  (U) On Monday, August 1, 2005, the entire diplomatic 
corps was invited to Bikaroua, a low-income suburb of 
Brazzaville, to witness the opening of the Bikaroua water 
project. With the Chinese ambassador to Congo seated on the 
dais beside President Sassou, this project was hailed as a 
model of Sino-Congolese collaboration.  The speaker said 
that after many calls for offers of assistance, it was the 
Chinese firm China Beijing Residential Development and 
Construction Group Corporation that saw fit to undertake the 
heavy burden of this accomplishment.  The cost of the 
project was placed in excess of 3.9 billion francs CFA, all 
taxes included. 
6.  (U) The construction of the project at Bikaroua is part 
of a government program to provide to all Congolese access 
to drinking water.   The national plan is to provide 
drinking water to at least twelve urban and suburban 
communities throughout the country.   Numerous borings were 
done in Pointe Noire and were highlighted during the 44th 
Independence Day celebration in Pointe Noire last year.  The 
next boring to be inaugurqated is at Sibiti, with Impfondo 
and Mossaka to follow soon thereafter.   For Brazzaville 
proper, the Bikaroua project is a link in a chain.  Drinking 
water will not only be supplied to the peripheral Kombo 
neighborhood, but will be extended to the quarters of 
Massengo and Moukondo as well.   The long-term goal is to 
supply drinking water to the entire 10, 000 residents of the 
city of Brazzaville.   The quality of the water is said to 
meet WHO standards for potability. 
 
 7.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  As the Chinese presence in Congo 
increases, naturally some criticisms of that increased 
presence also begin to surface.  Several Congolese 
professionals reported that airport customs inspectors 
discovered that some of the duty-free shipments of supplies 
and equipment were not at all related to the construction 
projects.  Instead, they found furniture, clothing, and 
other commodities intended for sale on the local market. 
Such consumer goods are not allowed duty-free entry under 
the agreements negotiated.  As the number of Chinese stores 
and restaurants increase, local Lebanese businessmen are 
said to be unhappy with the competition for market share. 
For the poor working class people, however, especially the 
women and children who do most of the work of carrying water 
cans long distances from an impure source to their homes, 
these projects represent relief from the burden of numerous 
chores and the possibility of a better life.  END COMMENT. 
 
8.  Brazzaville Embassy Office - Anderson 
 
MEECE