Xi Jinping calls for Africa’s resources not to be used for rivalry — South China Morning Post
In Beijing, China, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during talks with Botswana’s President Duma Boko that Africa’s resources should not be used for geopolitical rivalry. This was reported by South China Morning Post.
According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi said that the continent’s resources belong to Africa. He also noted that China would welcome genuine support for Africa’s development from other parties and that a fair and open environment is important for cooperation.
Plans for the mining industry
The Chinese president called it a historical injustice that the unequal international division of labor had left Africa at the lower levels of industrial and production chains. According to CCTV, China is ready to help develop plans for the continent’s mining industry that create greater added value.
Xi also proposed affordable and sustainable financing, the development of logistics corridors, the transfer of green technologies, job creation, and worker training. Beijing lawyer Kai Xue, who advises on foreign direct investment and cross-border financing, linked these initiatives to China’s interest in keeping Africa among the leading destinations for investment in mineral extraction.
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Competition for critical minerals
Chinese companies hold significant stakes in copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, copper projects in Zambia, lithium operations in Zimbabwe, and bauxite mines in Guinea. They are also involved in Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project, which, once operating at full capacity, is expected to produce 120 million tonnes of ore per year.
Xi’s statement came amid intensified US efforts to gain access to critical minerals in Africa. In 2024, the Joe Biden administration persuaded authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to block the sale of the troubled copper-cobalt company Chemaf to a mining subsidiary of China’s Norinco. In December 2025, the United States concluded an agreement with the country that gave US investors the right of first offer for designated mining projects.
During the meeting, Xi and Boko also elevated China-Botswana relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperation. Among their joint projects, the sides named the Khoemacau copper mine, which China’s MMG acquired for $1.9 billion. The company began expanding the facility in February and plans to increase production to 130,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate per year by 2028.
