China Increases Lithium Investments in DRC

 Discovery Alert posted on 25 March 2026 an article titled "DRC Lithium Project: $1.4B Investment Transforming Africa's Mining Sector" by Muflih Hidayat.

China's Zijin Mining Group will have a 55 percent controlling interest in a $1.4 billion joint investment with the DRC government in a lithium mining project that will potentially contribute almost 5 percent of global mined lithium output by 2028.

The DRC project represents a paradigm shift in how international mining companies approach African mineral extraction.  Rather than focus on raw material export, this approach integrates downstream processing capabilities directly into mining operations.  

China, Africa, and Cobalt

 Delaware-incorporated Farmonaut posted on 7 March 2026 a promotional piece titled "Cobalt Shares: China, Africa and the Global 2026 Refining Share."

In 2026, China will control over 75 percent of global cobalt refining capacity, although it mines less than 2 percent domestically.  Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo, supplies more than 70 percent of the world's cobalt, but refines less than 5 percent of its own product.  This promotion looks especially at the use of cobalt in the agricultural and forestry sectors.  

Morocco Attracts Chinese Investment While Remaining Close to United States

 The New Arab published on 18 September 2025 an article titled "China Bets on Morocco to Lead Africa's Electric Energy Future" by Basma El Atti.

Morocco has been able to attract increasing amounts of Chinese investment, most recently a giant battery factory, while remaining a non-NATO ally of the United States.

Morocco Becomes Hub for Chinese Investment

 Morocco World News published on 14 February 2025 an article titled "Ambassador: Morocco Becoming Strategic Hub for Chinese Investment" by Adil Faouzi.

Taking advantage of Morocco's proximity to Europe and favorable trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, the country is becoming a major investment center for Chinese companies.  

China Pursues Nigeria's Lithium

 Agence France-Presse published on 6 February 2025 an article titled "Nigeria's Lithium Boom: Chinese Buyers, Local Struggles, and a Global Race" by Leslie Fauvel.  

China is the world's largest refiner and consumer of lithium but must import large quantities.  Consequently, most buyers in Nigeria are Chinese.  In order to increase profits in Nigeria, the government wants investors to set up local processing plants.  So far, only Chinese companies are doing this but engaging in questionable mining practices in the process.  

Two Chinese Companies Sign Lithium Deal in Zimbabwe

 Bloomberg published on 24 September 2024 an article titled "China Mining Heavyweights Partner with Zimbabwe on Lithium Mine" by William Clowes and Godfrey Marawanyika.  

Despite low lithium prices, two Chinese mining companies are partnering with Zimbabwe's state-owned Kuvimba Mining House to build a mine and processing plant.  Even if lithium prices remain low, the Chinese companies look to make a profit and are predicting a strong recovery in 2026 and 2027.

China Moves Electric Vehicle Production to Morocco to Avoid US and EU Tariffs

 Benjamindada.com posted on 6 August 2024 an article titled "China's EU Players Chart Course for Morocco Amid Subsidy Squeeze" by Andrew Christian.

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are shifting production to Morocco to take advantage of free trade agreements with the US and EU that permit goods manufactured there to enter both markets and bypass import restrictions and tariffs.

China's Control of Lithium Market Hurts Small Miners in Zimbabwe

 Aljazeera published on 12 June 2024 an article titled "As China Scrambles for Zimbabwe's Lithium, Small Miners Are Left Behind" by Farai Matiashe.

Small scale Zimbabwe lithium miners have been harmed by the sharp drop in the price of the mineral and local laws that require it be sold to local companies for processing before export.  Chinese companies control the processing of lithium in Zimbabwe.  This situation has driven many of the artisanal Zimbabwe miners out of business.  

Environmental Cost of Cobalt Mining in the DRC: Chinese and European Companies

 RAID in collaboration with African Resources Watch published in March 2024 a detailed report titled "Beneath the Green: A Critical Look at the Environmental and Human Costs of Industrial Cobalt Mining in DRC."

The report found that the rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and wetlands near the DRC's cobalt and copper mines are severely polluted by mining activities.  The mining companies in the study were all large European or Chinese multinationals.  

Chinese companies and China loom especially large in this study as China accounts for about 60 percent of global passenger electric vehicle sales and is the biggest global consumer of cobalt with more than 80 percent being used to manufacture rechargeable batteries.  About 65 percent of global refined cobalt is produced in China-based facilities.  Chinese investment now backs about 70 percent of the DRC's mining sector.  

Chinese Company Opens Lithium Processing Plant in Zimbabwe

 The Herald published on 3 April 2024 an article titled "Mutoko Lithium Processing Plant Complete" by Victor Maphosa.

A Chinese company has completed a processing plant for the production of lithium in Zimbabwe, an increasingly important African source for this product used in the manufacturing of rechargeable batteries, mobile phones, and aircraft parts.  

Zimbabwe Needs to Maximize Value from China's Lithium Investments

 African Arguments published on 23 January 2024 a commentary titled "Zimbabwe Looks to China to Secure Place in EV Battery Supply Chain" by Andrew Mambondiyani, journalist based in Zimbabwe.  

Chinese companies have invested over $1.4 billion to access Zimbabwe's lithium reserves, the largest in Africa.  If it is not careful, Zimbabwe will squander this wealth because of regulatory gaps, human rights abuses, illegal trade, and corruption.  Zimbabwe has made it easy for China to exploit mining in the country.  It needs to process locally more of the lithium rather than export raw ore.  

Chinese Companies Under Fire in Rush for African Lithium

 Global Witness published on 14 November 2023 a report titled "A Rush for Lithium in Africa Risks Fuelling Corruption and Failing Citizens."

Australia, Chile, and China dominate the world's lithium supply, accounting for over 90 percent of production in 2022.  Africa is becoming a more important source of lithium and has been identified in the DRC, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ghana, Mali, and Ethiopia.  Chinese companies have been singled out by Global Witness for engaging in corruption or failing to meet contractual promises in the DRC and Namibia.  

China Dominates Zimbabwe's Lithium Mines

 The International Peace Information Service published on 20 September 2023 an analysis titled "Chinese Dominance in Zimbabwe's Lithium Mines: Potential Risks, Vulnerabilities and Opportunities in the Critical Minerals Sector" by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.  

Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves and mines in Africa.  Chinese-owned companies have acquired the biggest portfolio of lithium mining prospects in Zimbabwe.  Western investors remain reluctant to invest in risky Zimbabwe.  

China, the West, and Critical Minerals from Africa

 The Daily Maverick published on 26 October 2023 a commentary titled "Africa Is a Key Source of Critical Minerals for the Global Energy Transition--But There Are Hidden Dangers" by Adrian Joseph.

China is the dominant producer and processor of critical minerals, many of which come from Africa.  A growing number of countries, especially the United States and members of the European Union, are concerned about their vulnerability due to a disruption of supply chains.  But African countries are also concerned that they are only suppliers of raw materials and have almost no role in processing the minerals.  

China, the DRC, and Artisanal Cobalt Mining

 The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America published on 20 June 2023 a study titled "China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Artisanal Cobalt Mining from 2000 through 2020" by Andrew L. Gulley, U.S. Geological Survey.  

The study systematically evaluates the role of artisanal mining in world cobalt mine production.  It finds that artisanal cobalt mining's share of world cobalt mining has generally decreased since 2008 and that most artisanal production was either processed in the DRC by Chinese firms or exported to China.  

Chinese Company Makes Big Investment in Zimbabwe Lithium Plant

 Reuters published on 5 July 2023 an article titled "China's Huayou Commissions $300 Million Zimbabwe Lithium Plant" by Nyasha Chingono.

The Chinese company Huayou acquired in 2022 the hard rock lithium deposit in Zimbabwe from an Australian company for $422 million.  It then invested another $300 million this year to produce 450,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate annually.  Chinese firms have invested more than $1 billion over the past two years to acquire and develop lithium projects in Zimbabwe.  

US Responds to China in DRC and Zambia Re. Electric Vehicle Batteries

 The Center for Strategic and International Studies published on 6 March 2023 a commentary titled "The U.S.-Zambia-DRC Agreement on EV Batteries Production: What Comes Next?" by Christian Geraud Neema Byamungu.

The United States, Zambia, and the DRC signed a MOU to facilitate the development of an integrated value chain for the production of electric vehicle batteries in the DRC and Zambia.  The MOU is seen as a concrete move to counter China in the supply chain of critical minerals in Africa.

It is, however, a nonbinding agreement and only expresses the interest of the three countries to work together.  It also depends on the US private sector to invest in the DRC.

China and the Politics of Lithium Extraction in Africa

 Modern Diplomacy published on 20 February 2023 a commentary titled "The Politics of Lithium Extraction in Africa: Economic, Environmental and Geopolitical Impact" by Oksana Salabai, Jilin University China.

In 2020, China produced about 62 percent of global lithium production and accounted for about 64 percent of global lithium demand.  China used the majority of it in the production of electric vehicles.  Africa is the source of vast reserves of lithium.  

China seeks to secure access to critical resources such as lithium and to expand its influence in Africa.  China's pursuit of lithium resources in Africa is part of a broader strategy to secure access to critical resources around the world.  

China, Africa, and Lithium Production

 Reuters published on 9 February 2023 an article titled "Africa Gears Up to Keep More of the Profits from Lithium Boom" by Clara Denina and Wendell Roelf.

Much of Africa's lithium is headed for China to support the production of batteries for electric vehicles.  These countries are increasingly trying to develop local processing and refining industries to capture more profit rather than export the ore.

Comment:  China has more than half of the world's capacity for refining lithium into specialized battery chemicals.  The largest known reserves of lithium are found in Latin America (Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile).  The United States, Australia, and China also have large reserves.  By comparison, the known reserves in Africa (DRC, Mali, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Namibia) are modest.  But new reserves are being discovered each year and Africa could become a more important supplier of this highly sought after mineral. 

DRC and China Dominate Cobalt Market

 Mining.com posted on 7 February 2022 an article titled "Global Cobalt Production Hits Record High in 2021, Boosted by EV Demand."

In 2021, the Democratic Republic of the Congo supplied more than 70 percent of the world's cobalt mine production.  China was the world's leading producer of refined cobalt and also the leading consumer, with more than 80 percent of its consumption used by the rechargeable battery industry.