The Democratic Republic of Congo and China have signed a new agreement to expand cooperation in the country’s mining sector, according to the Congolese government, as global powers intensify competition over access to critical mineral resources, Reuters reported.
Congo remains the world’s top producer of cobalt and holds significant reserves of copper, lithium, coltan, and other key materials used in battery production.
Chinese firms already have a dominant presence in the sector, with major players such as CMOC (603993.SS), Zijin (601899.SS), and Huayou (603799.SS) leading operations.
China is also Congo’s largest bilateral creditor. At the same time, the United States and other nations are actively engaging with Kinshasa to secure access to minerals essential for electric vehicles and the global energy transition.
Congo’s exports to China are set to benefit from duty-free access starting May 1 under a policy that applies to 53 African countries.
The newly signed agreement outlines collaboration in areas such as geological data sharing, investment protection, and encouraging local processing of raw materials within Congo, according to an official government statement released late Thursday.
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The deal also introduces a monitoring system aimed at ensuring that projects comply with Congolese regulations and are executed within a stable and transparent investment environment.
As part of the agreement, a major iron ore development in northeastern Congo, known as the MIFOR project, will receive priority backing from China.
The agreement comes as Congo continues to attract attention from both China and the United States. “The U.S. will certainly take notice,” said Joshua Walker of NYU’s Congo Research Group. “It is clearly a riposte to Washington.”
In December, the Trump administration entered into a strategic partnership with Congo to increase Western investment, redirect mineral supply chains, and reduce China’s influence in the mining and processing of critical resources.
Congo has since provided the United States with a list of priority assets, while also signaling that it may explore other partnerships if the agreement does not lead to concrete outcomes.
Walker noted that the U.S. deal is broader and more binding, involving an exchange of security support in eastern Congo, where the government has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with Rwandan-backed rebels, in return for access to mining opportunities.
However, as competition between Beijing and Washington for global resources continues, Congo appears to be maintaining a balanced approach. “The DRC is clearly attempting to hedge its bets,” Walker said.
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Image Credit: The Times
