Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that African mineral resources "belong to Africa", offering Beijing's support for the industry and warning against "geopolitical rivalries" that could harm it.
China, through state-owned and private businesses, is a key player in Africa's valuable mining sector, particularly in extraction. It is one of several major powers vying for access to resources.
Accepting "the principle that African resources belong to Africa must be a prerequisite for any cooperation", Xi said during a meeting in Beijing with Botswana's President Duma Boko, whose country has a vast mining industry.
"Africa has been relegated to the bottom of the industrial chain and of the value chain by an unjust international division of labour. This is a historical injustice that requires urgent remedy," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua.
The Chinese leader called for balance between "moral principles and economic interests", while offering his country's assistance in drawing up development plans.
‘Geopolitical rivalries’
African countries hold around 30 percent of the world's critical mineral reserves, including cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel and rare earths, according to the United Nations.
Xi, in his remarks, said that "African resources must not become instruments of geopolitical rivalries", calling for all foreign powers involved to "contribute sincerely to Africa's development" and help maintain a "stable" environment for cooperation.
China is Africa's largest trading partner and a major source of financing for infrastructure projects across the continent.
On May 1, Beijing extended a zero-tariff policy to all African countries except Eswatini - with which it has no diplomatic relations - under a policy announced last year.
Hailing his country's commitment to "African development", Xi said Beijing seeks to steer Sino-African mineral cooperation towards greater "industrial added value".
