In late November, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a stark warning about the Democratic Republic of Congo: the security situation in the east has deteriorated sharply, with armed clashes, extremist activity and attacks against foreign workers rising again. Congo sits at the heart of the global copper–cobalt supply chain, and dozens of Chinese miners and traders (Zijin, CMOC, Huayou, Minmetals, Jinchuan, China Nonferrous, China Railway resources, etc.) already operate large projects across the country. A recent analysis from a WeChat public account that tracks global mining trends unpacks the potential impact on ... (full story)