The Republic of the Congo and China are seeking to advance major transport infrastructure projects as Brazzaville prepares to host the next ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2027.
Congolese Foreign Minister Constant-Serge Bounda met Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing on October 22 to discuss bilateral relations and preparations for the conference. The talks focused on strengthening economic cooperation and coordinating efforts ahead of the next stage of China-Africa engagement.
Wang said the two countries should deepen practical cooperation and make full preparations for the tenth FOCAC ministerial conference, scheduled to take place in the Republic of the Congo in 2027. He also noted that the country was the first African state to sign an early-harvest arrangement under the China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement for Shared Development.
Bounda's visit also included talks on infrastructure development in China's Hunan province. On October 21, he met Wang Daoxi, Hunan's executive vice governor, in Changsha. The two sides discussed accelerating work on Corridor 13 and the Congo-Ocean Railway, alongside broader economic and trade cooperation.
Corridor 13 is a regional transport initiative intended to improve connections between the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Chad. In the Republic of the Congo, a key component is a 542-kilometer road linking Pokola, Mboua, Épena, Impfondo, Dongou, Enyellé, Bétou and Gouga, near the Central African Republic border.
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso launched construction on this road section on February 25, 2026. According to the Congolese News Agency, Chinese company Hunan Construction Investment Group is carrying out the works, which are divided into six sections. The road is intended to improve transport links in the country's northern departments and facilitate regional trade.
The second project discussed in Changsha, the Congo-Ocean Railway, connects Brazzaville with the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire. Modernization of the line is intended to improve the movement of passengers and freight between the country's capital and its main maritime gateway. The Hunan provincial government said the two sides wanted to accelerate work on the railway alongside Corridor 13.
Hunan officials also proposed closer cooperation in resource development and the use of China's BeiDou satellite navigation system. Bounda expressed support for deeper cooperation through specific projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The discussions come as the Republic of the Congo prepares to co-host the next phase of China-Africa engagement through FOCAC. The October meetings show how the two sides are linking diplomatic coordination with transport infrastructure and economic cooperation.
No new construction contract was announced in the official accounts of the October meetings.
