Difficult Conversations Underway in Beijing About China’s Mining Interests in the DR Congo

DR Congo Minister of Mines N'samba Kalambayi visited the Beijing offices of mining giant China Molybdenum Company for talks with CEO Sun Ruiwan about the massive TFM cobalt mine.

Even before DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, his ministers fanned across the Chinese capital earlier this week to lay the groundwork for what are going to be delicate negotiations over a pair of large, yet very contentious Chinese mining projects in the DRC.

Mining Minister N’samba Kalambayi is the point person for talks to restructure the contracts that created the Sicomines joint venture with the Congolese state-run mining company Gécamines and a similarly flawed agreement with the mining giant China Molybdenum Company over the Tenke Fungurume (TFM) copper and cobalt mine.

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by Eric Olander

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