Democratic Republic of Congo and China have signed a deal to deepen cooperation in the African nation's mining sector, Congo's government said.
Congo is the world's leading producer of cobalt and holds vast reserves of copper, lithium, coltan and other battery metals.
Chinese companies led by top cobalt miner CMOC, Zijin and Huayou already dominate its mining sector. And Beijing is also Congo's biggest bilateral creditor.
The US and other countries seeking supplies of the minerals needed for electric vehicle manufacturing and the energy transition are also courting Kinshasa.
Duty-free access
Congo's exports to China are already due to benefit from duty-free access to China from May 1 under an initiative covering 53 African countries.
The new agreement sets out cooperation on geological data sharing, investment protection and the promotion of local processing of raw materials in Congo, according to the Congolese government statement published late on Thursday.
It also includes a monitoring mechanism to ensure projects comply with Congolese law and are implemented in a stable and transparent investment environment.
A flagship iron ore project in northeastern Congo, known as MIFOR, will receive priority support from China, the statement said.
