The water vapor of the Ubangi River carries the smell of red soil, and a cargo ship loaded with cement stabilizes its hull in the rapids, sailing towards the port of Bangui in the Central African Republic. This waterway, which was once considered a natural barrier due to the dense rapids and wars, has now become a lifeline for the Congo (Brazzaville) Rutte Cement Plant to support the construction of neighboring countries. Chinese technicians and local crew members fought side by side, delivering bags of high-quality cement to the African hinterland in urgent need of construction materials, writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win on the shimmering river surface.

Cross border waterways are fully accessible

Relying on the cement plant capacity invested and constructed by China in Congo (Brazzaville), a stable logistics channel connecting the Rutte plant area and Banji Port has been officially established. Cement is transported by railway to the port of Brazzaville, and then transferred upstream by a fleet through the Congo River and Ubangi River waterways. This channel effectively avoids the high cost and low efficiency of land transportation, utilizing the golden window period of the rainy season every year to continuously transport building materials that were originally restricted by traffic congestion to the territory of the Central African Republic.

Dangerous shoals and natural barriers become accessible routes

Previously, due to land wars, expensive air transportation, and dry season disruptions, cement supply in the Central African Republic has been paralyzed for a long time. Chinese enterprises are facing challenges head-on, innovatively adopting the water land intermodal transportation mode, seizing the opportunity of rising water levels during the flood season, and overcoming risks such as multiple reefs and easy grounding in rivers. The staff even went deep into the primitive jungle and coordinated transportation through motorcycles, successfully building an all-weather, high-capacity cross-border supply chain, completely breaking the logistics bottleneck that restricts local development. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, cement, infrastructure

Moisturizing people's livelihoods and showing warmth

This batch of cement produced with Chinese technological support has been deeply integrated into the construction of both countries. From the cable-stayed bridge and national stadium in Congo (Brazzaville) to the Boali hydropower station and medical team building in the Central African Republic, the supply of building materials has not only accelerated the implementation of key projects, but also effectively improved people's livelihoods. The local people can afford sturdy houses, level village roads, and transport workers can earn stable income. China's strength is enhancing the sense of gain and happiness of the African people in a visible and tangible way.Editor/Gao Xue