Author: Obert Bore
Obert Bore is CGSP's Critical Minerals Editor who is trained as a lawyer and has been working on the intersection of mining and trade and human rights with a focus on Chinese investments in Africa. Before joining CGSP, he had been leading the Responsible Investments and Business Program at the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), where he worked on promoting responsible and sustainable investments in Zimbabwe’s mining sector. Before that he was a Chinese Investments Fellow for ZELA where he supported affected communities through legal and non-legal strategies and advocated for the adoption of responsible mining standards. His research interests include the Chinese investments in mining, environmental social and governance standards and business and human rights. He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree (cum laude) in International Trade Law from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree (cum laude) from the University of Venda.
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A Sinopec employee assists with the docking of a liquefied natural gas tanker in Tianjin in October. [Photo/Xinhua]
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In Zimbabwe, China’s EV Mineral Hunt Sparks Both Hope and Unease
When Chinese battery materials giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt acquired the Arcadia Lithium Mine for $422 million in 2021, Zimbabwe saw an opportunity to claim its share in the global electric vehicle supply chain table. Located 38 kilometers east of Harare, the project was billed as a ...
Critical Minerals Weekly Digest
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. This week’s developments underscore a clear shift in the critical minerals landscape, from fragmented exploration to full-spectrum geopolitical ...
China Corners the Market on a Little-Known but Crucial Tech Mineral
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Q&A: What Lessons Can Zimbabwe Learn From Indonesia in Its Quest to Move up the Lithium Value Chain?
Indonesia is often cited as a model for countries seeking to extract more value from their mineral wealth. This is because Jakarta was a pioneer in using export bans to compel investors to invest in the value-added processing of the resource before export. In 2020, Indonesia banned ...
China’s Copper Smelting Boom Backfires Amid Global Supply Strains
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Lithium Prices Are Crashing, But Some Producers Are Doubling Down. Why?
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China’s Critical Minerals Lead Widens as Rivals Struggle to Keep Pace
Despite growing talk of securing alternative supply chains, China has entrenched itself as the world’s undisputed leader in critical minerals, widening a lead that few anticipated would stretch so far, so fast. From lithium to nickel to rare earths, China’s ...
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As China opens its doors wider to African exports, extending duty-free market access to all 53 diplomatic partners on the continent, the announcement was met with applause in ministerial corridors from Nairobi to Niamey. For many, the new policy represents another chance for Africa to claim ...
Critical Minerals Weekly: China’s Rare Earth Reset, Copper Overcapacity, and Zimbabwe’s Big Lithium Gamble
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. After months of strategic restrictions, China has agreed to resume rare earth exports to the U.S. as ...
Critical Minerals Weekly: China’s Rare Earth Curbs, EV Delays, and Global Supply Chain Scramble
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Europe’s Green Mining Regulations May Push Africa Closer to China
While Europe’s environmental policy to limit carbon emissions is well-meaning and aims to fight climate change, it could actually make things worse for Africa. Instead of helping the continent to develop its industries, EU policy might instead give China more control over access to valuable mineral resources, ...