DR Congo has the largest Chinese presence in Central Africa: in the capital Kinshasa and in the copper and cobalt belt around Lubumbashi and Kolwezi in the south. Next come Douala and Yaoundé in Cameroon, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo, and Libreville in Gabon. The main sectors are mining (copper, cobalt, gold), timber, oil (Chad, Republic of the Congo), contracting, and retail and restaurants. There are essentially no direct flights from China; travellers connect in Paris, Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Istanbul.
On security: as of October 2026, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) rates the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe blue (low risk). Four eastern provinces of DR Congo, the Central African Republic outside Bangui, and Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions are red (extremely high risk).
Main sectors and cities
| Country | Main cities | Main sectors for Chinese residents |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | Kinshasa; Lubumbashi, Kolwezi | Copper and cobalt mining and primary processing (CMOC, Sicomines, Zijin, China Nonferrous and others), cement and chemicals, contracting, wholesale and retail, restaurants [1] |
| Cameroon | Douala, Yaoundé | Restaurants, trade, fishing, construction, wholesale of daily goods, gold mining, timber processing; about 6,000 Chinese residents [2] |
| Republic of the Congo | Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire | Restaurants, supermarkets, hardware and building materials, logging and timber processing, contracting, oil [3] |
| Gabon | Libreville | Timber, retail, hotels and restaurants |
| Chad | N’Djamena and the refinery area nearby | CNPC upstream blocks and refinery, road and telecom contracting; independent traders run shops, hotels and restaurants [4] |
| Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe | Bangui; Malabo, Bata; São Tomé | Contracting, gold mining (CAR), restaurants and general stores |
There are no country guides for this region on the site yet. Population estimates for each country are in the table below this text and on the Chinese population in Africa page.
Flights from China
According to MOFCOM’s 2025 Cameroon guide, there are no direct flights between China and Cameroon. Common routings to Douala or Yaoundé go via Paris (Air France), Addis Ababa (Ethiopian), Brussels, Nairobi (Kenya Airways) or Istanbul [2]. The main routes to Kinshasa listed in the DR Congo guide also connect through Paris and other hubs [1]. Check with the airline when booking.
Regional organisations
- Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Chad, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea form the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), whose treaty entered into force in June 1999 and which applies a common external tariff. Companies producing inside the community with more than 40% local raw materials can apply for a special licence that lets them export duty-free to other CEMAC and ECCAS (CEEAC) members [2].
- The currency of the CEMAC states is issued by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) [7].
- DR Congo is not in CEMAC, but it is a member of both SADC [5] and the East African Community (joined 2022) [6], and trades heavily with East and Southern Africa. See the Southern Africa guide and the East Africa guide for those blocs.
- Since 1 December 2024 China has applied zero tariffs on 100% of tariff lines for 33 African least developed countries it has diplomatic ties with, and from 1 May 2026 it applies zero tariffs to the other 20 African countries it has ties with, for two years [8].
Security overview
| MFA risk level (as of October 2026) | Country or area |
|---|---|
| Red (extremely high risk) | Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Haut-Uele provinces of DR Congo, where the MFA says Chinese citizens must not go [9]; the Central African Republic outside Bangui (Bangui’s PK5 district is also red) [10]; Cameroon’s South-West and North-West regions [11]; the Tibesti region of Chad [7] |
| Orange (high risk) | Nine provinces of DR Congo including Lualaba and Haut-Katanga (where Kolwezi and Lubumbashi are) [9]; Bangui; Cameroon’s Adamawa, North and Far North regions; four areas of Chad including Lake Chad |
| Yellow (medium risk) | The rest of DR Congo, Cameroon and Chad |
| Blue (low risk) | Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe |
If you work at a mine or in a remote area, register your movements with your company and the embassy before you go. For what to do after a robbery, kidnapping or detention, see Consular protection and the 12308 hotline.
References
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: DR Congo (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Cameroon (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Republic of the Congo (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Chad (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- SADC Member States (SADC Secretariat, accessed October 2026)
- EAC Partner States (EAC Secretariat, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Chad country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China to apply zero tariffs to all African countries with diplomatic ties from 1 May 2026 (Xinhua / gov.cn, 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: DR Congo country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Central African Republic country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Cameroon country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
Countries in this region
| Country | Chinese population (est.) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 10,000+ (no total published) | 2024 |
| Cameroon | ~6,000 | 2025 |
| Republic of the Congo | ~4,500–6,000 | 2025 |
| Gabon | ~2,100 | 2025 |
| Equatorial Guinea | ~2,000 | 2025 |
| Chad | ~1,600 | 2025 |
| Central African Republic | ~400 | 2025 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | ~100 | 2025 |