Chinese President Xi Jinping has said African mineral resources belong to the continent, pledging Beijing’s support for the sector while warning foreign powers against using it as an instrument of geopolitical rivalry.
Xi made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting in Beijing with Botswana’s President, Duma Boko, whose country has a substantial mining industry.
“Accepting the principle that African resources belong to Africa must be a prerequisite for any cooperation,” Xi said, according to China’s official news agency, Xinhua.
He said Africa had long occupied the lower end of the global industrial and value chains because of an unjust international division of labour, describing the situation as a historical injustice that needed urgent correction.
China is a major player in Africa’s mining industry through state-owned and private companies, particularly in mineral extraction. It is also among several global powers seeking access to the continent’s strategic resources.
Xi called for a balance between moral principles and economic interests, offering China’s assistance to African countries in developing plans to maximise the benefits of their mineral wealth.
According to the United Nations, Africa holds about 30 per cent of the world’s critical mineral reserves, including cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel and rare earths. These resources have become a major focus of competition between the United States and China, alongside European countries and other international actors.
“African resources must not become instruments of geopolitical rivalries,” Xi said, urging foreign powers to contribute sincerely to the continent’s development and help maintain a stable environment for cooperation.
China is Africa’s largest trading partner and a major financier of infrastructure projects across the continent.
On May 1, Beijing extended its zero-tariff policy to all African countries except Eswatini, with which it has no diplomatic relations. The policy was announced last year.
However, some critics accuse foreign powers, including China, of exploiting Africa’s natural resources without ensuring that the continent’s countries and citizens receive adequate benefits.
Xi said China remained committed to African development and wanted mineral cooperation between Beijing and African countries to generate greater industrial added value, allowing the continent to benefit more from processing and other stages of the value chain.
