Shao Hong, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the April 16 inauguration ceremony of President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso as the special envoy of President Xi Jinping. Sassou Nguesso was elected by an overwhelming majority on March 15 to his fifth presidential term as the candidate of the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT).
At a bilateral meeting the day following the inauguration, Shao conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Xi to Sassou Nguesso and said that the friendship between China and the Republic of the Congo enjoys a long history and has grown stronger over time. China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and is willing to work with the Congolese side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and fulfill their responsibilities as co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to lead the development of China-Africa relations and strengthen solidarity and coordination among the Global South.
Sassou Nguesso spoke highly of the bilateral relations, stressing that the Congolese side cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries and is willing to deepen friendly cooperation with China in various fields, strengthen communication and coordination on international hotspot issues, and further advance the building of a high-level community with a shared future between the two countries.
The inauguration took place in a stadium in Kintélé, a suburb north of the capital of Brazzaville, which was filled with tens of thousands of supporters waving national flags. Among the large number of foreign dignitaries present were the presidents of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Chad, Gabon, Togo, Ghana and Burundi.
In his inaugural address, Sassou Nguesso pledged to implement his development programme, titled “Accelerating the March Toward Development,” with a focus on economic diversification and modernisation, agricultural mechanisation, infrastructure development, education, youth training, and improvements to the health system. He said peace, stability and infrastructure development would be the priorities of his new mandate.
The president also called on Congolese citizens to promote Pan-Africanism and strengthen regional integration, while reaffirming his support for initiatives aimed at advancing Africa’s economic development.
Earlier, on March 30, President Xi Jinping had sent a congratulatory message to Denis Sassou Nguesso on his re-election as President of the Republic of the Congo.
Xi Jinping noted that China and the Republic of the Congo share a profound traditional friendship. In recent years, the two sides have continuously consolidated political mutual trust, firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and conducted fruitful cooperation in various fields. The two countries have joined hands to fulfill their roles as co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), playing a leading role in promoting the development of China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Chinese envoy attends inauguration of president of Republic of the Congo
BRAZZAVILLE, April 17 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy Shao Hong attended the inauguration ceremony of President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso here on Thursday at the invitation of Sassou Nguesso.
On Friday, Sassou Nguesso met with Shao, also vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, at the presidential palace in Brazzaville.
After conveying cordial greetings and best wishes from Xi to Sassou Nguesso, Shao said that the friendship between China and the Republic of the Congo enjoys a long history and has grown stronger over time.
China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and is willing to work with the Congolese side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and fulfill their responsibilities as co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to lead the development of China-Africa relations and strengthen solidarity and coordination among the Global South, Shao said.
Sassou Nguesso asked Shao to convey his sincere greetings to Xi and thanked the Chinese president for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony.
He spoke highly of the bilateral relations, stressing that the Congolese side cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries and is willing to deepen friendly cooperation with China in various fields, strengthen communication and coordination on international hotspot issues, and further advance the building of a high-level community with a shared future between the two countries.
Denis Sassou Nguesso sworn in as president of Republic of the Congo
BRAZZAVILLE, April 16 (Xinhua) — President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso, re-elected in the March 15 presidential election, was sworn in on Thursday for a new five-year term.
The ceremony took place at Kintele Stadium in the northern suburbs of Brazzaville, the capital city, in the presence of several African heads of state.
In his inaugural address, Sassou Nguesso pledged to implement his development programme, titled “Accelerating the March Toward Development,” with a focus on economic diversification and modernization, agricultural mechanization, infrastructure development, education, youth training, and improvements to the health system.
He said peace, stability and infrastructure development would be the priorities of his new mandate.
The president also called on Congolese citizens to promote Pan-Africanism and strengthen regional integration, while reaffirming his support for initiatives aimed at advancing Africa’s economic development.
Xi Jinping Sends Congratulatory Message to Denis Sassou Nguesso on His Re-election as President of the Republic of the Congo
March 30 (MFA) – On March 30, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Denis Sassou Nguesso on his re-election as President of the Republic of the Congo.
Xi Jinping noted that China and the Republic of the Congo share a profound traditional friendship. In recent years, the two sides have continuously consolidated political mutual trust, firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and conducted fruitful cooperation in various fields. The two countries have joined hands to fulfill their roles as co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), playing a leading role in promoting the development of China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation. Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and stands ready to work with President Denis Sassou Nguesso to continuously add new dimension to the high-level community with a shared future between China and the Republic of the Congo, making greater contributions to the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
