The Republic of the Congo, a Central African state also known as Congo-Brazzaville, has (as of the writing of this entry in July 2026) been ruled by the presidency of Denis Sassou Nguesso for more than 40 years. Freedom House has cited severe repression of the opposition and credible, recurring corruption allegations against Nguesso’s family. Congo-Brazzaville established diplomatic relations with China in 1964, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has more recently described the country as a steadfast friend of China. The country has served as co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Media-adjacent cooperation includes Congo’s participation in a China-funded satellite TV project bringing access to 10,000 African villages, demonstrated at a village site visited by senior Chinese officials in 2018. In July 2026, the Republic of the Congo was confirmed as a founding member of the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), with Chinese-language sourcing specifying “Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville),” distinguishing it from the DRC.