Pay attention to international focus and insight into the world situation. This edition of High-End Interview features speakers from countries that are the second largest in the African continent. This is his first state visit to China since taking office. During his visit, he and President Xi Jinping announced that the strategic partnership of win-win cooperation between the two countries would be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. How is this a visit that builds on the past and forges ahead into the future? As a country of resources and a population that has been plagued by war and economic development for many years, how will his country embark on its own path of development? And how will he address the challenges facing national development? Next, let's approach the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as the "heart of Africa", and join President Tshisekedi in the dialogue to find answers.
Wang Guan: President Tshisekedi, welcome to China, and thank you for your exclusive interview with High-End Interview. We are deeply honored.
Tshisekedi: Thank you.
Wang Guan: You have been in China for several days and have visited several Chinese cities. What was your impression of the visit? What does China look like in your eyes?
Tshisekedi: I would like to take this opportunity to thank President Xi Jinping for inviting me to pay a state visit to China. I had never been to China before. Everyone has heard of China, and I have known China since I was a child. It has now been more than 50 years of partnership and cooperation between our two countries. My impression of China was 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, very modern. I want to congratulate China on its successful modernization. We also remember that in the 60s of the 20th century, China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were basically at the same economic level. China's leaps and bounds are breathtaking. This model is exactly what I want to emulate and replicate in our country, which is why I really appreciate what I see in China.
Wang Guan: Mr. President, we note that during your visit to Beijing, you laid a wreath at the Monument to the Chinese Heroes, and you also visited the Exhibition Hall of the History of the Communist Party of China. Why go to these places? What are your feelings and impressions at the scene?
Tshisekedi: Quite simply, because there are similarities in the histories of our two countries. China has experienced poverty, as has the Democratic Republic of the Congo; China has experienced famine, and so has the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But at the same time, China has its advantages, and it knows how to use its advantages to get rid of these problems. That's why I think China's development model will inspire the DRC. I wanted to come here and see how China did this, and I especially wanted to experience it for myself.
Wang Guan: China's development path and modernization path are hot topics in the world today. Many countries admire China's development path, while others portray China as an "expansionist country." How do you see China's role? How do you view China's global image and global influence?
Tshisekedi: The first thing that comes to mind is that China is a country with a population of more than 1 billion. Not all countries have more than 1 billion people. How to successfully ensure the safety of so many people, the food, clothing, education and health of so many people, these are huge challenges. Therefore, before judging China, you must first understand the reality of China. I am not the kind of person who criticizes other countries indiscriminately. First of all, I am against interference in the internal affairs of a country; Secondly, I admire China's efforts in addressing the challenges I have just described. So I don't judge others arbitrarily. Instead, I think we should be inspired by what China is doing. [We have friendly relations with China] because friends can discuss even the most unpleasant things, rather than condemning China and rejecting China. I respect the past and present of China as a country, and I am sure that we will value China in the future.
Wang Guan: During your visit, bilateral relations have been upgraded to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. What do you think of the new language and orientation of the bilateral relationship? For the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and China, what tangible impact will the upgraded bilateral relationship have?
Tshisekedi: I just mentioned that the friendship between the two countries has existed for 50 years, and we have summed up the friendship of these 50 years in stages, and cherished the issues related to mutual benefit and win-win results between our two countries. We live in a globalized world today, so these questions are also about the world. It is on the basis of these analyses that we feel the need to upgrade the level of partnership between the two countries to make it strategic and comprehensive. Let me give you an example. The world is facing the problem of climate warming, which is a problem that concerns countries around the world. We can feel from natural disasters that no country is immune. The DRC defines itself as a "country that provides solutions" because we have large forests that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which can help combat global warming. We have strategic minerals for the manufacture of power batteries. These power batteries are recyclable and contribute to the ecological transition. On the other hand, China has the expertise and resources, and cooperation between our two countries can bring solutions to the world. That's why we decided to elevate our relationship, because it can bring something very, very good to the world.
Wang Guan: I note that in the joint statement after your meeting with President Xi, the two sides reached consensus on at least 13 areas. The statement talked about mining and infrastructure cooperation, saying the two countries would consolidate cooperation in mining and solve current problems in a "mutual trust, pragmatic and fair attitude." When many media reports on your visit to China, they mentioned the infrastructure agreement signed between the two countries many years ago. Is there an update on this collaboration?
Tshisekedi: First of all, let me mention a few points in these consensuses that I think are very important. First and foremost, peace and security. Peace and security will bring stability, which in turn will shape an environment conducive to business and investment. Secondly, I think a very important point in these consensuses is the content of education, health and agriculture. If we want to develop the DRC, we have to rely on the Congolese, they have to be educated, they have to be healthy, they have to have enough food, so food security is also very important. In addition, there is the environment in which we live. For a better world, we must protect it. Finally, there's industrialization, which is where we work the most with China and where China invests a lot. Chinese companies have made a lot of investment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making China the largest investor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My view is that now we don't want to do or just do a mining site, it's time to leave the minerals mined in our country for processing. This will not only create a certain added value, but more importantly, it will create wealth and employment opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. China agreed to support our industrialization (strategy) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Obviously, industrialization is inextricably linked to infrastructure, infrastructure construction, and energy. These are the two major challenges we will tackle in the next decade, and China is ready to support us. So we can say that our cooperation, our partnership, will be a win-win in the future.
Wang Guan: Another important bilateral agreement is that my China Central Radio and Television Station signed a memorandum of cooperation with the DRC National Radio and Television Station. You and President Xi witnessed the signing. What do you think is the point of cooperation? What is the significance of such media cooperation in enhancing South-South media collaboration and breaking the control of Western media over the global public opinion field?
Tshisekedi: First of all, this partnership, this cooperation, is very important to us. We in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, needless to say, are lagging behind a lot in terms of the media, and we have to catch up. The DRC's media have not yet been modernized. By this, I am not only referring to equipment and technology, but also to training, which we all need. Partnering with mainstream national media in China will help us improve media standards in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This South-South cooperation is exactly what we need, because we also want to promote our culture. Now countries are vying, not to mention competing for export, at least to fight for a place in their own culture. For Africa, what we hold very dear but have not been able to promote is our culture. I believe that exchanges between the media in developing countries will create a positive spark in this regard. As we all know, people's identities are culture-based, and we need these exchanges to promote our culture.
CROWN: President Tshisekedi, you mentioned peace, development and the promotion of dialogue among civilizations. In fact, China has also put forward its own proposals on these issues, President Xi Jinping has proposed the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. What do you think of these initiatives?
Tshisekedi: I think all of these initiatives are particularly helpful to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Africa as a whole. We are facing security challenges. I mentioned my own country, but not only mine, but almost the entire subregion of Africa is rife with conflicts that impede development. That's why I think President Xi Jinping's initiative is very meaningful. We need China to support us. [China can] support us in our quest for peace by virtue of its position on the Security Council, and we also need China's support for our development. China is already very active on the continent, investing in many infrastructure projects. There can be no development without infrastructure, so the more such initiatives, the better. Our aim is to build a win-win partnership, China invests, it will definitely be profitable, and Africa will also be satisfied, especially as we are building the African Continental Free Trade Area. So if all goes very, very well, Africa will become the largest trading market in the world, which will be a market of more than 2 billion people. Therefore, it seems to me that China is already in a good position because it is investing in facilitating this common market, and in the future it will certainly become one of the most sought-after partners in this market that is being built. So I think President Xi Jinping's vision is remarkable, very forward-looking, and the results will undoubtedly be positive and have a positive impact on China.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC for short, is located in central Africa and is one of the largest French-speaking countries in the world. It is adjacent to Congo (Brazzaville), Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Central Africa and other countries, known as the "heart of Africa".
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) has rich mineral resources, copper reserves account for 15% of the world, cobalt reserves and production account for 50% and 70% of the world's respectively, tantalum and niobium ore reserves account for 80% of the world's total... This country known as the "jewel of Central Africa" also contains rich forests, water conservancy and other resources.
Wang Guan: I know that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most biodiverse African country and the second largest country in Africa, and there should be a lot to share in protecting biodiversity.
Tshisekedi: There are some natural parks and protected areas on the continent where we are working 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 because China attaches great importance to this issue. COP21, held in Paris in 2015, pledged to protect the environment, protect biodiversity, and protect countries that are paying for the pollution caused by industrialized countries. But those commitments have not been kept, so maybe it's time to start thinking about it. China is important in its position as a permanent member of the Security Council, and it can participate in the discussion and in finding a solution to this problem.
Crown: Mr. President, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is rich in natural resources, including mineral resources. 70% of the world's cobalt is produced in your country; There are also gold, diamonds, copper and many more. Do you think this is a blessing from nature or what some call a "curse of natural resources"? If it's the "natural resource curse", how do you plan to change that during your tenure?
Tshisekedi: I don't want to say it's a curse, but I would say it's the root of our misfortune. Because unfortunately, we don't have a forward-looking policy. We were content with extraction, thinking that with the money from mining, it would be enough to develop our country. Now we realize that these ores have no value if they don't generate more added value, at least not compared to the development we would like to see. We have a population of about 100 million people, and soon we will know what the specific population is, because we will be counting the population synchronously during the electoral process. 100 million people is a huge number, of course it cannot be compared with China, it is only one-tenth of the Chinese, we are the largest French-speaking country. There are so many people that need to be planned, which is why I have an ambitious plan for natural resource processing. This is very important, both for mining and for agriculture. So far, everything we've done has been mining, not local processing. With local processing, we can create wealth and export value-added products, with consequences that will far exceed those we now know. So it's really important for us to have this policy in place. I attach great importance to this matter, and I also want to thank China, which has understood our ideas well and worked side by side with us. We will make a noteworthy attempt at Manono to manufacture power batteries. We have the DRC 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 industrial chain as I thought, and all parties are satisfied. The first is that we are no longer just mining sites, we are going to process our ore domestically, thanks to these Chinese companies, who will invest in infrastructure for processing, and end-users will probably also be building electric vehicles in the DRC. In any case, economically, we will be the winners, which is good for our respective countries.
Crown: Mr. President, last question. You lead the country of the world's most populous francophone country and the second largest country in Africa by area. Throughout the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is extraordinary. In the 60s of the 20th century, the country gained independence from Belgian colonial rule, and later there were civil wars, conflicts, and then development. Managing such a complex country, what keeps you up at night?
Tshisekedi: It's true that it's not an easy country to lead. I've seen statements that the DRC is one of the five most difficult countries in the world to govern. But there is one thing that can never be taken away from the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the passion for living together in this place called the "Democratic Republic of the Congo". Now, we still face many challenges. For me, the most important challenge is security, the return of peace, security and stability. Then, I would like to say the eradication of poverty, because poverty is the root cause of many difficulties, conflicts and, above all, conflicts between communities. One day we will achieve "zero poverty", which can be done, just look at China. I mentioned earlier that there are more than a billion people in China, and yes, there are still challenges in China, but poverty is being eradicated. We only have 100 million people, so it's possible to reach that goal. When we do, people will change their minds about the DRC and talk about my country in a different way and have more respect for it.
Crown: Do you think this will happen during your tenure? A change in perception.
Tshisekedi: It probably won't take more than a decade.
Crown: Best wishes from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to interview you.
Tshisekedi: Thank you.
After an exclusive interview with the Central Radio and Television Station, President Tshisekedi wrote an inscription: To the viewers of the Central Radio and Television Corporation, I salute you, wish you all the best in your respective careers, and continue to pay attention to your favorite channels.
President Tshisekedi said that he was very impressed by China's development achievements, and said that China's modernization road has brought many enlightenments to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries. "Go fast alone, go far together". People expect that African countries such as China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be able to work together in more fields and at a deeper level in the future for mutual benefit and win-win results.
Chief planner丨Shen Haixiong
Director system丨Li Ting, Fan Yun
Executive Producer丨Chen Jie Ma Jing
Chief producer丨Pan Linhua, Liu Ge, Yan Min
Producer丨Yin Liping Zhao Yunjie
Reporter丨Wang Guan Zhou Tao
Camera丨Gao Xin, Han Xu, Zheng Hao
Planning丨Shen Lin, Sun Xin, Deng Yutong
Choreographer丨Gu Xuejia Xuan Jiyou
Translation丨Fourier He Bin He Shan
Voiced by丨 Yao Yujun
Outreach丨He Zhaojie, Li Tian, Han Shuo, Zhuang Ying
New media丨Wang Jia, Zhang Hongchi
Technical supervisor丨Kong Zheng
Visual packaging丨Ye Ye Wang Jing
Later supervisor丨Zhao Xin
Post-production丨Qian Ziqi, Zhang Ningyu, Zhu Xiaopu, Li Jiachen, Yi Bin
Audio丨Ma Siyao
Technical support丨Pang Sen Jiang Kun
Acknowledgement丨Chinese Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Embassy in China Congo National Radio and Television Station of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Source: CCTV News Client