DRC Ministry of Mines Visits China to Take Advantage of Window of Opportunity
On 24 March 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo Minister of Mines, Louis Kabamba, visited the China Minmetals Corporation (CMC) headquarters in Beijing. CMC is the majority shareholder in MinMetals Group (HKSE: 1208) in DRC and operates the Kinsevere copper-cobalt mine, located 30 kilometers north of Lubumbashi in the Northern Katanga region.
The two sides met to explore the deepening of cooperation. Minister Kabamba outlined DRC’s strategic priorities for the mining sector, including geological surveys, #LocalBeneficiation, local job creation and greater Congolese participation in the mining value chain.
The cooperation started back in 2022, and MMG has injected nearly USD 600 million in the project so far. In 2025, the annual output reached about 65,000 tonnes of copper cathode and about 2,000 tonnes of cobalt.
However, MMG suspended the production of cobalt in December 2024 due to ‘unfavorable market conditions.‘ Then, the DRC Government also introduced an export ban on cobalt in a bid to rein in oversupply.
CMC Deputy GM XU Jiqing summarized the global operations of his company. In 2025, its subsidiary MMG produced a total of 380,000 tonnes of copper from its operations worldwide, including Africa, Australia and South America. Currently, the Las Bambas mine in Peru is its largest asset.
On 25 March 2026, the DRC Delegation met with China Molybdenum Corporation (CMOC). CMOC GM Charles Peng reiterated his company’s commitment to align with DRC’s national strategy and regulatory framework. CMOC (HKSE: 3993, SHSE: 603993) has two key assets in DRC: the Tenke Fungurume Mine (TFM) and the Kisanfu Mine (KFM).
In particular, the DRC Government stressed the following:
- Conform to the mining code and related legal framework
- Respect the #ESG standards
- Implement #CSR to improve the livelihoods of neighboring communities
- Support the development of power infrastructure
- Collaborate in integrating and structuring artisanal mining in the ecosystem
Given the boom in #copper demand driven by the construction of AI data centers and the accelerated adoption of Electric Vehicles (EV), all sides believe in reinforcing the partnership to take full advantage of the window of opportunity. Cobalt is also used for certain battery chemistries to improve performance. In that regard, the DRC Government welcomes more prospecting to uncover new mines, as the Chinese companies are mulling expanding their operations in DRC.
On 26 March 2026, the DRC Delegation had a working session with the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Congolese Minister Louis Kabamba and Chinese Minister of Natural Resources Guan Zhi’ou signed a cooperation MoU.
The MoU calls for:
- Consultations on a regular basis
- Adherence to the regulatory framework
- Protection of investments
- Promotion of Local Value Addition (#LVA)
The Grand Oriental Iron Ore Mine (MIFOR) was one of the cooperation projects at the center of the discussions. The Congolese side reiterated its wish not just for pure extraction, but for the project to evolve into an iron and steel plant. Like other African countries, the DRC has set its sights on an #industrialization process in order to integrate better within the global value chain.
The DRC is perfecting its legal framework to align with the African Union Africa Mining Vision (#AMV) in a bid to remove the ‘resource curse.’. Before parting ways, the two sides pointed out to the possibility of meeting again during either the DRC Mining Week in June 206 or at the International Forum on Mining in China in September 2026.