STORY: DR Congo president lays foundation stone for Chinese-built ring roads project
SHOOTING TIME: June 22, 2024
DATELINE: June 26, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:45
LOCATION: Kinshasa
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the launching ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): ALEXIS GISARO MUVUNI, DRC's Minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): ZHAO BIN, Chinese ambassador to DRC
4. various of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi laying the foundation stone for the construction project

STORYLINE:

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the construction of Kinshasa's ring roads project, one of the priority infrastructure projects within the cooperation package of "resource for projects" between the DRC and China.

During the ceremony, attended by high-ranking personalities, including Prime Minister Judith Tuluka Suminwa, President Tshisekedi, driving a wheel loader himself, personally launched the project's construction. He said he was "reassured" by the Chinese techniques while wishing for a more diverse and deeper cooperation between the two countries.

For Alexis Gisaro Muvuni, minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works, this project marks "a new stage" for DRC-China cooperation which strengthens DRC's road interconnectivity with various infrastructure projects.

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): ALEXIS GISARO MUVUNI, DRC's Minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works
"The project marks the beginning of a new phase of DRC-China cooperation. Many other projects, which already have feasibility studies and resources in 2024, will be launched in the coming days."

This project will cross four communes of Kinshasa, home to more than 17 million residents, with nine penetrating roads connected by four interchanges, which would help relieve traffic congestion.

Zhao Bin, Chinese ambassador to the DRC, described this project as Kinshasa's "new landmark" and a "new symbol" of China-DRC cooperation in terms of infrastructure.

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): ZHAO BIN, Chinese ambassador to DRC
"This ring roads project means prosperity for the DRC and its people. These roads will help alleviate traffic congestion in Kinshasa."

Several projects, including the partial rehabilitation of the national road N1, also within the "resource for projects" cooperation package, will be launched to push forward socioeconomic development, highlighted Zhao.

Since Tshisekedi's state visit to China in May 2023, bilateral economic and commercial cooperation has been accelerating on all fronts, stressed the Chinese ambassador, citing the soon completion of the work of the Central African Cultural and Arts Center, a donation from the Chinese government, as well as an investment forum planned for August.

An amendment to the "resource for projects" cooperation agreement was signed in March between the group of Chinese companies and the DRC government, which provides for an investment of some 7 billion dollars mainly intended for the DRC infrastructure construction and the SICOMINES, a joint venture created in 2008 by the DRC public mining company and a group of Chinese companies.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kinshasa.
(XHTV)