China and the Democratic Republic of Congo reached a new mining agreement, as Beijing and Washington jostled for control of Africa’s key mineral resources.
The US reached its own deal with Kinshasa last year, which could be far larger than the new agreement with China. Still, Beijing retains structural advantages, Semafor Africa’s editor wrote: China remains the DRC’s biggest creditor by a wide margin, while Chinese firms already dominate mineral production in the African nation, including for key resources like cobalt and copper.
Elsewhere, rising international demand for resources has strengthened the hand of African countries, with many pushing for greater control of the more valuable segments of the mineral supply chain.