Cameroon, a Central African state formed by the 1961 reunification of former French and British trust territories, established diplomatic relations with China in 1971. President Paul Biya, still in power at the time of this entry in July 2026, has ruled Cameroon since 1982, maintaining power through what the organization Freedom House has described as rigged elections, patronage and restrictions on the press and opposition parties. Ties with China were elevated to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in September 2024. Cameroonian media links to Chinese state outlets run primarily through private broadcaster Canal 2 International, whose director general publicly pledged deeper CMG ties in February 2026. Cameroon has also taken part in the Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation, a state-organized platform founded in 2012 that has produced joint statements on media-policy alignment among African broadcasters and China’s radio and television regulator. Cameroon became a founding member of WAICO in July 2026.