Global Witness published on 10 June 2026 a major report titled "Who Buys Rwanda's Smuggled Coltan? The Global Journey of Conflict Coltan from DRC to the World's Electronics."
Most of the conflict coltan mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and smuggled through Rwanda is processed by companies in China. A few companies in Kazakhstan and Thailand are also involved. The refined tantalum often unwittingly ends up in the products of major Western companies.
Mining Focus Africa published on 30 March 2026 an article titled "Democratic Republic of Congo and China Deepen Mining Ties Amid Global Minerals Race" by Michael Van Wyk.
The focus of the most recent China-DRC minerals collaboration includes geological data sharing, investment protection, and ensuring that more raw materials are processed in the DRC rather than exported in unrefined form. The agreement coincides with a US strategic partnership with the DRC aimed at boosting Western investment and reducing reliance on Chinese-controlled supply chains.
China Africa News published on 25 December 2025 an article titled "Congo's Tightrope: Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry for Mineral Wealth."
For decades, China has been the dominant force in Congolese mining benefiting from state-backed capital. The United States has stepped up its engagement in the DRC mineral sector but faces significant Chinese structural advantages including entrenched refining capacity, long-term investment relationships, and an extensive operational presence.
The BBC posted on 26 March 2025 an article titled "DR Congo Conflict Tests China's Diplomatic Balancing Act" by Jack Lau.
Chinese companies are significantly engaged in the mineral-rich eastern DRC where a Rwanda-supported M23 rebel group is militarily opposing DRC security forces. China has for years maintained good relations with both countries and remained neutral in the dispute. Until recently, China cited unnamed "foreign forces" as supporting the M23 rebels. Now it is naming Rwanda as the source of that support and publicly hoping that the government will end the relationship. China provides weapons to both countries.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 19 March 2025 an analysis titled "Can the DRC Leverage U.S.-China Competition for Critical Minerals for Peace?" by Christian-Geraud Neema.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi's strategy is designed to help the Trump administration secure access to critical minerals and curtail China's expansion within the mineral supply chain. As the Rwanda-baked M23 rebel group advances from the mineral rich eastern DRC towards Kinshasa, Tshisekedi's top priority may be regime survival. The advance of the M23 forces has complicated control over minerals in the eastern Congo and US-China competition for access to them.
The South China Morning Post published on 7 August 2024 an article titled "China Warns Citizens to Leave DR Congo after Series of Deaths and Kidnappings" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China has asked its citizens and companies to "immediately stop operations and evacuate" 4 provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of kidnappings and attacks on Chinese nationals.
