Beijing has decided to deploy criminal investigators to help halt kidnappings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after alerts were issued regarding the safety of Chinese citizens working in the African nation’s high-stakes mining industry.
Eager to better protect Chinese businesses and citizens in the mineral-rich country, Beijing recently sent a delegation led by Liu Jingjie, head of the criminal investigation bureau at China’s Ministry of Public Security, to meet Congolese security officials, reports South China Morning Post.
The high-level bilateral discussions included the DRC’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, Gilbert Kankonde Malamba, as well as members of its national police, immigration department, and intelligence bureau.
Later the Chinese embassy in the DRC spoke of “police cooperation between China and the DRC, strengthening the security protection of Chinese nationals” in the country. The discussions also addressed rescuing kidnapped Chinese citizens and the difficulties Chinese nationals encounter in obtaining documents in the DRC.
“The Congolese side is willing to further strengthen communication and coordination with the Chinese side to better understand China’s demands, to deepen bilateral cooperation in the security field,” the embassy said in a statement as quoted by the newspaper.