As US pursues mine deals, Xi warns African resources are not tools for ‘rivalry’

Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned that African resources should not be utilized as a means to fuel geopolitical rivalries, as the United States intensifies its pursuit of critical minerals on a continent where Chinese firms hold significant mining interests. During a meeting with Botswana's President Duma Boko in Beijing, Xi emphasized that "Africa's resources belong to Africa" and lamented the historical injustice of an unfair global distribution of labor, which has left the continent at the bottom of industrial and value chains.

Xi proposed that China would assist in developing African mining sectors, aiming for increased added value, and proposed sustainable financing, the establishment of supportive logistics corridors, green technology transfer, job creation, and worker training. Kai Xue, a corporate lawyer advising on foreign direct investment in China, stated that Xi's proposals underscore China's commitment to ensuring Africa remains a leading destination for its mining investments, particularly if African nations can derive greater value from their resources.

The Chinese president's remarks come as Washington seeks to secure a more substantial share of Africa's critical minerals, with the Biden administration lobbying Congo to prevent the sale of a distressed mining firm to a Chinese state-backed company and signing an agreement with the US to offer American investors first rights to designated mining projects in the country.