The trade relationship between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has grown significantly over the past four decades. The central African nation’s large mineral deposits are mostly exported to the eastern powerhouse.
Beijing has committed to building stronger ties with the DRC, who has substantial amounts of untapped gold, copper, and cobalt reserves.
But some political analysts fear that the relationship between China and the DRC may suffer a setback as a result of the trade war between China and the US.
Workers of a Chinese mining company extract cobalt in the southeast of the DRC. Cobalt is used for making lithium-ion batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. The DRC has more than 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves.
Signed minerals deal
In 2008, the former DRC President, Joseph Kabila, signed a $6 billion infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese firms. Under the deal, the Chinese firms were to build roads, dams, and hospitals in exchange for copper and cobalt.
Chinese ambassador to the DRC, Zhu Jing says, “The partnership between China and the DRC in the mining and infrastructure sector is based on a win-win relationship. We believe it will benefit the Congolese people and help develop the country. That has been acknowledged by some members of the population and the government.”
But the current DRC president, Felix Tshisekedi, holds a different view. In 2021, he ordered for the review of the contract signed with China saying the DRC was not getting a fair deal.
Some analysts believe the President’s change of heart towards China was stirred by the US.
Joseph Kasavubu University’s English professor, Antoine Lokongo says it all started when the president went to America.
“It started with our president going to America and openly stating that in this era of the post-cold war he will be on the side of America and Israel. So he made his position quite clear. So when he came back from there he announced that he was going to review all the contracts that the previous government signed with the Chinese.”
But President Tshisekedi said his focus was not on which foreign power would dominate mining in the DRC, but rather on how his country could benefit from the best deals.
Criticised loans
The loans issued by China for infrastructure projects in the DRC and other African countries have been sharply criticised by some western countries.
Some African scholars consider that criticism unjustified.
University of Kinshasa Professor, Nkere Ntanda says China does not get involved in internal matters of countries they invest in.
“China has taken the position of not getting involved in the internal matters of countries where they invest. And that has been very well perceived by many African leaders and it has made it easy for China to be in almost every African country today. And I think that is where the fear of European countries and the United States lies.”
The DRC is endowed with a lot of other minerals like gold, diamonds, and uranium. But the vast majority of its population has been living in poverty for decades. Corruption and an ongoing conflict in the country’s east have drained the economy.
The DRC was among the five largest African trading partners with China after South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, and Egypt last year. The country’s main exports were minerals.
Its leaders are now pushing to get fairer trade deals with China and other foreign investors – something that many Congolese hope will help them live better lives in their mineral-rich country. – Report by Chris Ocamringa
