Chinese Miners in Africa
- Thread starter MoneyBags1348
- Start date
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
05/04/2023
Frank Posted
Fyi MB, I see the Shit is still hitting the Fan at Sicomines as the fight against those fuckin' "Black Chinese" bastards continues, as
Revisiting the DRC-Sicomines contract: Licoco warns the "black Chinese" who are maneuvering against the Congolese state
The Congolese Anti-Corruption League is protesting against certain ill-intentioned people who allow themselves to torpedo the DRC's efforts to revisit the Sicomines contract.
The alert is sounded through a press release made public this Monday, April 3, signed by the executive secretary of Licoco, Ernest Mpararo.
In this press release, the Congolese NGO warns these people whom it describes as "black Chinese".
While welcoming the work done by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) which has invested in the interests of the DRC, the Licoco recalls that the revisitation in question is an initiative to be welcomed.
"The Congolese League against Corruption (Licoco) warns of the presence in the preparatory work for the revision of the Chinese Contract, of people clearly committed to the Chinese cause, without a doubt, at the cost of greenbacks, to torpedo the efforts of the DRC to sign an amendment to the Sicomines convention, as desired by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Head of State.
Licoco recalls that the General Inspectorate of Finance produced a report to the general satisfaction of all Congolese laying bare the predation orchestrated against the interests of the DRC in complicity with certain Congolese who insolently enriched themselves on the back of Sicomines “, informs the press release.
Entitled "the revisitation of the Sicomines contract undermined by black Chinese", the Licoco press release sounds like an awakening of conscience while some citizens engage in activities aimed at tarnishing the image of the country's institutions.
While recalling the resolutions of the Council of Ministers of March 17, 2023 which "clearly lifted the option of revisiting the Chinese Contract so as to rebalance the advantages between the DRC and Chinese companies", Licoco recalls the need to work tirelessly so that the preparatory work relating to the revision of the Sicomines contract succeeds.
“A week ago, the preparatory work bringing together several state structures, under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff of the Head of State, began with the aim of establishing a roadmap for negotiations with Chinese companies.
The Licoco which takes part in it observes with indignation the attempts of some ill-intentioned people who are part of this working group who seek to discredit the very appreciable report of the General Inspectorate of Finance, thus sailing against the decision of the Chief of the state and the will of the Congolese people.
These people seek to delay the revisitation desired by all Congolese by delaying maneuvers such as requesting another technical audit of the Sicomines Convention”, denounces Licoco.
The NGO notes that since the existence of the said convention, no state structure has managed to obtain financial and operating data from this Company, which behaved like a state within a state.
It is almost a miracle today, she thinks, that a Congolese control service manages to dissect this convention on the basis of real data and to highlight glaring imbalances to the detriment of the DRC.
For Licoco, it is clear that the revisitation desired today is an opportunity that the DRC must not miss.
Licoco as well as other civil society organizations, guardians of the interests of the DRC, warn these "black Chinese" and keep an eye on them.
The Congolese NGO, which claims to have all the information on these people described as "black Chinese", promises not to hesitate to make public the identities of these enemies of the Republic if the latter do not give up their macabre plan and their desire for quick enrichment on the back of the Congolese people.
Frank Posted
Fyi MB, I see the Shit is still hitting the Fan at Sicomines as the fight against those fuckin' "Black Chinese" bastards continues, as
Revisiting the DRC-Sicomines contract: Licoco warns the "black Chinese" who are maneuvering against the Congolese state
The Congolese Anti-Corruption League is protesting against certain ill-intentioned people who allow themselves to torpedo the DRC's efforts to revisit the Sicomines contract.
The alert is sounded through a press release made public this Monday, April 3, signed by the executive secretary of Licoco, Ernest Mpararo.
In this press release, the Congolese NGO warns these people whom it describes as "black Chinese".
While welcoming the work done by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) which has invested in the interests of the DRC, the Licoco recalls that the revisitation in question is an initiative to be welcomed.
"The Congolese League against Corruption (Licoco) warns of the presence in the preparatory work for the revision of the Chinese Contract, of people clearly committed to the Chinese cause, without a doubt, at the cost of greenbacks, to torpedo the efforts of the DRC to sign an amendment to the Sicomines convention, as desired by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Head of State.
Licoco recalls that the General Inspectorate of Finance produced a report to the general satisfaction of all Congolese laying bare the predation orchestrated against the interests of the DRC in complicity with certain Congolese who insolently enriched themselves on the back of Sicomines “, informs the press release.
Entitled "the revisitation of the Sicomines contract undermined by black Chinese", the Licoco press release sounds like an awakening of conscience while some citizens engage in activities aimed at tarnishing the image of the country's institutions.
While recalling the resolutions of the Council of Ministers of March 17, 2023 which "clearly lifted the option of revisiting the Chinese Contract so as to rebalance the advantages between the DRC and Chinese companies", Licoco recalls the need to work tirelessly so that the preparatory work relating to the revision of the Sicomines contract succeeds.
“A week ago, the preparatory work bringing together several state structures, under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff of the Head of State, began with the aim of establishing a roadmap for negotiations with Chinese companies.
The Licoco which takes part in it observes with indignation the attempts of some ill-intentioned people who are part of this working group who seek to discredit the very appreciable report of the General Inspectorate of Finance, thus sailing against the decision of the Chief of the state and the will of the Congolese people.
These people seek to delay the revisitation desired by all Congolese by delaying maneuvers such as requesting another technical audit of the Sicomines Convention”, denounces Licoco.
The NGO notes that since the existence of the said convention, no state structure has managed to obtain financial and operating data from this Company, which behaved like a state within a state.
It is almost a miracle today, she thinks, that a Congolese control service manages to dissect this convention on the basis of real data and to highlight glaring imbalances to the detriment of the DRC.
For Licoco, it is clear that the revisitation desired today is an opportunity that the DRC must not miss.
Licoco as well as other civil society organizations, guardians of the interests of the DRC, warn these "black Chinese" and keep an eye on them.
The Congolese NGO, which claims to have all the information on these people described as "black Chinese", promises not to hesitate to make public the identities of these enemies of the Republic if the latter do not give up their macabre plan and their desire for quick enrichment on the back of the Congolese people.
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
07/04/2023
Frank Posted
Sino-Congolese contract You said “Black Chinese”: what if we said “Black Westerners? »
With its media outlet, discriminatory, segregationist, has the Licoco been given the mission of discrediting the Commission instituted by the Head of State?
Congolese - moreover organizers of an NGO for the defense of human rights - who describe Congolese as "black Chinese": this is where the Final Report of the Igf on Sicomines leads!
Worse, this NGO specializing in the fight against corruption presents itself as being part of the Commission initiated, however, in good faith by President Félix Tshisekedi, determined to hear all the bells ringing, that is to say those of the for, against and neutrals, a question of getting a clear idea of what is going on around the Sino-Congolese or Sicomines contract affair before, of course, making an informed decision...
In its press release dated April 3, 2023, Licoco "alerts on the presence in the preparatory work for the revision of the Chinese Contract, of people clearly committed to the Chinese cause, without a doubt, at the cost of greenbacks, to torpedo the efforts of the DRC to lead to the signing of an amendment to the SICOMINES convention, as desired by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Head of State".
She notes that "For a week, the preparatory work bringing together several state structures under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff of the Head of State, began with the aim of adopting a roadmap for negotiations with Chinese companies.
The LICOCO which takes part in it observes with indignation the attempts of some ill-intentioned people who are part of this working group who seek to discredit the highly appreciable report of the General Inspectorate of Finance, thus sailing against the decision of the Chief of the state and the will of the Congolese people.
These people seek to delay the revision desired by all Congolese by delaying maneuvers such as requesting another technical audit of the SICOMINES Convention”!
Thus, it appears to be both judge and party with the primary consequence of depriving itself of the credibility that the Commission needs to function better.
Worse for her, better for public opinion, she reveals to the attention of the national and international community that she is not alone in this commission to share the same opinion.
Indeed, she affirms that "The LICOCO as well as the other organizations of the Civil Society Guardians of the interests of the DRC, warn these 'black Chinese' and keep an eye on them".
She maintains "to hold all the information on these people qualified as 'black Chinese'" and "promises not to hesitate to make public the identities of these enemies of the Republic if the latter do not give up their macabre plan and their desire to 'rapid enrichment on the back of the Congolese people'.
Consequence: Licoco presents the Commission not as an initiative in search of the truth about the Sino-Congolese contract, but as a structure set up to sink Sicomines!
Why and for whose benefit?
In addition to engaging in discrimination and segregation, in addition to accusing them of corruption, it goes so far as to make physical threats against the Congolese, whom it moreover prohibits from exercising their democratic rights, in this case those of expression and opinion guaranteed by the Constitution.
How can an organization claiming to be serious and sitting on a commission called upon to be serious engage in such abuses so ostensibly?
Since she identifies "black Chinese" in this commission, should we deduce, in response from the shepherd to the shepherdess, that she is part of the "black Westerners"?
While we're at it, the reference to greenbacks (dollars) normally applies to whom?
Is it to the "black Chinese" supposed to be served in yen or to the "black Westerners" served in dollars!
It is here that the invitation of Senator Prince Kaumba in his motion of April 1st in the Senate takes on its full meaning: “Let us not transpose on our territory conflicts of interest that do not concern us”.
Otherwise, an NGO considering itself credible cannot object to another technical audit of the Sicomines Convention, which contains in its provisions Article 20 which provides, for the settlement of any dispute, either an amicable solution, or international arbitration!
Both require a contradictory audit.
This is where the chinophobia that feeds compatriots who, since 1990, have fully played the card of the weakening of public institutions in favor of external powers that continue to weaken the Congo in all forums, leads.
The security situation in the East is proof of this.
First to contest the electoral victory of Félix Tshisekedi in 2018, they have not succeeded in advocating for the regime in place to bring or bring back to the country over the past 4 years a single investor.
They cannot stop presenting the DRC as a corruptible country overnight.
The Igf Report on Sicomines having allowed them to bounce back, here they are in the process of trapping the commission on which the President of the Republic is nevertheless counting to inform himself through the contradictory debate...
The same question comes up: why, and for whose benefit!
Beyond the debate around Sicomines: any serious contract provides for dispute resolution mechanisms!
Except for other reasons, any serious partner does not reject these mechanisms, whatever position of power it may occupy in a given context.
Senator elected from the province of Lualaba, Pr Prince Kaumba Lufunda is the first Congolese parliamentarian to provoke contradiction in the Final Report of the Igf on the Sino-Congolese contract, a contract to which Sicomines, a joint venture with Congolese capital, owes its existence and Chinese.
That the first epidermal reactions qualify him as a traitor, it doesn't matter in a country where certain dark forces want to make animism a virtue, and non-animism a vice!
In one of his first statements reported in the last 72 hours by the media, the senator highlighted article 20 of the Sino-Congolese contract providing, in the event of a dispute, an amicable solution and if, in the six months after that proves impossible, international arbitration.
The important information provided, however, is the amicable solution used more than once, without fanfare.
The question, from this moment, is then to know why this time the exception, and again in the street!
Would it be to cover up the blunder committed in September 2022?
As a reminder, acting out of time, an Igf investigation mission dispatched to Lubumbashi had ordered the suspension of customs exemption duties, and this, without the knowledge not only of the General Directorate of Customs and Excise and the Ministry of Finance, but also and above all of the head of the Igf.
Because the whole crisis started from this decision.
Moreover, it is quite significant that in all their declarations relating to this affair, neither the officials nor the unofficial visibly opposed to the Sino-Congolese contract allude to it.
However, it is common knowledge, to quote Nicolas Boileau, that if "What is conceived well is stated clearly, and the words to say it arrive easily", the opposite consequence is that "What is stated badly ends badly , and the words to say it come with difficulty”!
Case of the Final Report causing so much controversy spread out, moreover, by the 13 questions of the Honorable Prince Kaumba Lufunda.
This case has something foreign
Going back to the title, any serious contract provides its dispute resolution mechanism or mechanisms.
Simply because there is no human structure under the heavens that can function properly without the appearance, at one time or another, of a crisis or a conflict resulting from a misunderstanding.
Also, wanting to be serious, the Sino-Congolese contract has article 20 as well as article 19 that commentators should take the trouble to read.
One can, for one reason or another, believe oneself to be stronger than the partner one wants to weaken, but it is always advisable not to do without the mechanism provided for solving problems, as it is true that by the force of things, we always come back to them.
Doing so is disruptive to the business climate, especially in terms of investment and when Sicomines, the Association of Chinese Capital Enterprises in the DRC or any individual draws public attention to this disruption, the responsible response is not to shout from the rooftops the grievances likely to arise. be qualified or disqualified in the event of national or international arbitration.
The responsible response is to admit that the mistake would be to publicly mistreat Sicomines and believe to convince other investors to replace it.
On the contrary, as an "informed man" or a "scalded cat", these investors will prefer to go and operate under other skies than to give themselves up hand and foot tied to Congolese officials and unofficials capable, at any time, of getting out of the mechanisms of settlement of disputes provided for in negotiated contracts, and to engage all in spectacle.
Finally, this case has something foreign: unlike the incriminated party who obviously cares about the present and the future of Sino-Congolese relations, the incriminating party acts as if it doesn't care, even if it means putting the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi before the fait accompli!
Once again, the question is to know why and for whose benefit...
mediacongo
Frank Posted
Sino-Congolese contract You said “Black Chinese”: what if we said “Black Westerners? »
With its media outlet, discriminatory, segregationist, has the Licoco been given the mission of discrediting the Commission instituted by the Head of State?
Congolese - moreover organizers of an NGO for the defense of human rights - who describe Congolese as "black Chinese": this is where the Final Report of the Igf on Sicomines leads!
Worse, this NGO specializing in the fight against corruption presents itself as being part of the Commission initiated, however, in good faith by President Félix Tshisekedi, determined to hear all the bells ringing, that is to say those of the for, against and neutrals, a question of getting a clear idea of what is going on around the Sino-Congolese or Sicomines contract affair before, of course, making an informed decision...
In its press release dated April 3, 2023, Licoco "alerts on the presence in the preparatory work for the revision of the Chinese Contract, of people clearly committed to the Chinese cause, without a doubt, at the cost of greenbacks, to torpedo the efforts of the DRC to lead to the signing of an amendment to the SICOMINES convention, as desired by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Head of State".
She notes that "For a week, the preparatory work bringing together several state structures under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff of the Head of State, began with the aim of adopting a roadmap for negotiations with Chinese companies.
The LICOCO which takes part in it observes with indignation the attempts of some ill-intentioned people who are part of this working group who seek to discredit the highly appreciable report of the General Inspectorate of Finance, thus sailing against the decision of the Chief of the state and the will of the Congolese people.
These people seek to delay the revision desired by all Congolese by delaying maneuvers such as requesting another technical audit of the SICOMINES Convention”!
Thus, it appears to be both judge and party with the primary consequence of depriving itself of the credibility that the Commission needs to function better.
Worse for her, better for public opinion, she reveals to the attention of the national and international community that she is not alone in this commission to share the same opinion.
Indeed, she affirms that "The LICOCO as well as the other organizations of the Civil Society Guardians of the interests of the DRC, warn these 'black Chinese' and keep an eye on them".
She maintains "to hold all the information on these people qualified as 'black Chinese'" and "promises not to hesitate to make public the identities of these enemies of the Republic if the latter do not give up their macabre plan and their desire to 'rapid enrichment on the back of the Congolese people'.
Consequence: Licoco presents the Commission not as an initiative in search of the truth about the Sino-Congolese contract, but as a structure set up to sink Sicomines!
Why and for whose benefit?
In addition to engaging in discrimination and segregation, in addition to accusing them of corruption, it goes so far as to make physical threats against the Congolese, whom it moreover prohibits from exercising their democratic rights, in this case those of expression and opinion guaranteed by the Constitution.
How can an organization claiming to be serious and sitting on a commission called upon to be serious engage in such abuses so ostensibly?
Since she identifies "black Chinese" in this commission, should we deduce, in response from the shepherd to the shepherdess, that she is part of the "black Westerners"?
While we're at it, the reference to greenbacks (dollars) normally applies to whom?
Is it to the "black Chinese" supposed to be served in yen or to the "black Westerners" served in dollars!
It is here that the invitation of Senator Prince Kaumba in his motion of April 1st in the Senate takes on its full meaning: “Let us not transpose on our territory conflicts of interest that do not concern us”.
Otherwise, an NGO considering itself credible cannot object to another technical audit of the Sicomines Convention, which contains in its provisions Article 20 which provides, for the settlement of any dispute, either an amicable solution, or international arbitration!
Both require a contradictory audit.
This is where the chinophobia that feeds compatriots who, since 1990, have fully played the card of the weakening of public institutions in favor of external powers that continue to weaken the Congo in all forums, leads.
The security situation in the East is proof of this.
First to contest the electoral victory of Félix Tshisekedi in 2018, they have not succeeded in advocating for the regime in place to bring or bring back to the country over the past 4 years a single investor.
They cannot stop presenting the DRC as a corruptible country overnight.
The Igf Report on Sicomines having allowed them to bounce back, here they are in the process of trapping the commission on which the President of the Republic is nevertheless counting to inform himself through the contradictory debate...
The same question comes up: why, and for whose benefit!
Beyond the debate around Sicomines: any serious contract provides for dispute resolution mechanisms!
Except for other reasons, any serious partner does not reject these mechanisms, whatever position of power it may occupy in a given context.
Senator elected from the province of Lualaba, Pr Prince Kaumba Lufunda is the first Congolese parliamentarian to provoke contradiction in the Final Report of the Igf on the Sino-Congolese contract, a contract to which Sicomines, a joint venture with Congolese capital, owes its existence and Chinese.
That the first epidermal reactions qualify him as a traitor, it doesn't matter in a country where certain dark forces want to make animism a virtue, and non-animism a vice!
In one of his first statements reported in the last 72 hours by the media, the senator highlighted article 20 of the Sino-Congolese contract providing, in the event of a dispute, an amicable solution and if, in the six months after that proves impossible, international arbitration.
The important information provided, however, is the amicable solution used more than once, without fanfare.
The question, from this moment, is then to know why this time the exception, and again in the street!
Would it be to cover up the blunder committed in September 2022?
As a reminder, acting out of time, an Igf investigation mission dispatched to Lubumbashi had ordered the suspension of customs exemption duties, and this, without the knowledge not only of the General Directorate of Customs and Excise and the Ministry of Finance, but also and above all of the head of the Igf.
Because the whole crisis started from this decision.
Moreover, it is quite significant that in all their declarations relating to this affair, neither the officials nor the unofficial visibly opposed to the Sino-Congolese contract allude to it.
However, it is common knowledge, to quote Nicolas Boileau, that if "What is conceived well is stated clearly, and the words to say it arrive easily", the opposite consequence is that "What is stated badly ends badly , and the words to say it come with difficulty”!
Case of the Final Report causing so much controversy spread out, moreover, by the 13 questions of the Honorable Prince Kaumba Lufunda.
This case has something foreign
Going back to the title, any serious contract provides its dispute resolution mechanism or mechanisms.
Simply because there is no human structure under the heavens that can function properly without the appearance, at one time or another, of a crisis or a conflict resulting from a misunderstanding.
Also, wanting to be serious, the Sino-Congolese contract has article 20 as well as article 19 that commentators should take the trouble to read.
One can, for one reason or another, believe oneself to be stronger than the partner one wants to weaken, but it is always advisable not to do without the mechanism provided for solving problems, as it is true that by the force of things, we always come back to them.
Doing so is disruptive to the business climate, especially in terms of investment and when Sicomines, the Association of Chinese Capital Enterprises in the DRC or any individual draws public attention to this disruption, the responsible response is not to shout from the rooftops the grievances likely to arise. be qualified or disqualified in the event of national or international arbitration.
The responsible response is to admit that the mistake would be to publicly mistreat Sicomines and believe to convince other investors to replace it.
On the contrary, as an "informed man" or a "scalded cat", these investors will prefer to go and operate under other skies than to give themselves up hand and foot tied to Congolese officials and unofficials capable, at any time, of getting out of the mechanisms of settlement of disputes provided for in negotiated contracts, and to engage all in spectacle.
Finally, this case has something foreign: unlike the incriminated party who obviously cares about the present and the future of Sino-Congolese relations, the incriminating party acts as if it doesn't care, even if it means putting the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi before the fait accompli!
Once again, the question is to know why and for whose benefit...
mediacongo
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
10/04/2023
Rediah Posted
www.opinion-info.cd
Charles Médard Ilunga, Former General Manager of the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT).
Judicial sources confirmed to the editorial staff of Opinion-info.cd the arrest of three former officials of the Congolese Agency for Major Works, this Friday, April 07, at the general prosecutor's office in Kinshasa-Gombe. These include Martin Busimaa and his successor Charles Médard Ilunga and a certain Willy Monda, respectively two former managing directors and a director in charge of finance. According to our sources, these three former senior executives of the ACGT are being prosecuted for accusations of embezzlement according to investigations carried out by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) within the framework of the Sino-Congolese contract.
Rediah Posted
Urgent : Contrat chinois : Deux anciens DG de l'ACGT aux arrêts pour détournement des fonds ! !
Par la Rédaction Des sources judiciaires ont confirmé à la rédaction d'Opinion-info.cd l'arrestation de trois anciens responsables de l'Agence Congolaise de grands travaux, ce vendredi 07 avril, au parquet général de Kinshasa-Gombe. Il s'agit notamment de Martin Busimaa et son successeur...
Urgent: Chinese contract: Two former CEOs of the ACGT arrested for embezzlement! !
Charles Médard Ilunga, Former General Manager of the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT).
Judicial sources confirmed to the editorial staff of Opinion-info.cd the arrest of three former officials of the Congolese Agency for Major Works, this Friday, April 07, at the general prosecutor's office in Kinshasa-Gombe. These include Martin Busimaa and his successor Charles Médard Ilunga and a certain Willy Monda, respectively two former managing directors and a director in charge of finance. According to our sources, these three former senior executives of the ACGT are being prosecuted for accusations of embezzlement according to investigations carried out by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) within the framework of the Sino-Congolese contract.
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
14/04/2023
Cruiser Posted
Yesterday at 9:36 PM#Tshopo Arrest of 16 Chinese accused of “theft and illicit mining work” in gold mines
https://mines.cd/tshopo-arresta tion-de-16-chinois-accuses-de-vol-et-travaux- illegal-mining-in-gold-mines/ …
Sammy_Da_Smile Posted
MB Posted
Cruiser Posted
Yesterday at 9:36 PM#Tshopo Arrest of 16 Chinese accused of “theft and illicit mining work” in gold mines
https://mines.cd/tshopo-arresta tion-de-16-chinois-accuses-de-vol-et-travaux- illegal-mining-in-gold-mines/ …
Sammy_Da_Smile Posted
MB Posted
Last edited:
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
14/04/02023
Bin59 Posted
Maybe there’s a strategy between Jin Cheng (Zijin) and Huayou as Zijin acquired shares from Huayou in another project in the past (2016) - perhaps they will do that again as it’s been mentioned here previously that they shouldn’t compete against each other
www.fasken.com
Confidential Client
CLOSED AUGUST 2016
On August 26, 2016, Jin Cheng Mining Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., acquired a 21% equity and other related interest in La Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS, from Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd. for approximately US$34,000,000. La Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS is a Democratic Republic of Congo based copper mining development company. Following the transaction, Jin Cheng Mining Limited owns 72% of this company. Fasken represented Jin Cheng Mining and Zijin Mining in this transaction with a team that included Michael Boehm, Lei Huang, Daye Kaba, Dan Su and Félix-Olivier Hébert.
Bin59 Posted
Maybe there’s a strategy between Jin Cheng (Zijin) and Huayou as Zijin acquired shares from Huayou in another project in the past (2016) - perhaps they will do that again as it’s been mentioned here previously that they shouldn’t compete against each other
Zijin Mining acquires a further 21% interest in La Compagnie Miniere de Musonoie Global SAS from Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt for approximately US$34 million
Confidential Client
CLOSED AUGUST 2016
On August 26, 2016, Jin Cheng Mining Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., acquired a 21% equity and other related interest in La Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS, from Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd. for approximately US$34,000,000. La Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS is a Democratic Republic of Congo based copper mining development company. Following the transaction, Jin Cheng Mining Limited owns 72% of this company. Fasken represented Jin Cheng Mining and Zijin Mining in this transaction with a team that included Michael Boehm, Lei Huang, Daye Kaba, Dan Su and Félix-Olivier Hébert.
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
10/04/2023
THE AWAKENING
This plant processes copper and cobalt in Lubumbashi, 2,297 kms from the capital Kinshasa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is pushing for an audit of the country’s mining contracts with China, which it says heavily favour Beijing.
Kinshasa wants a bigger slice of the proceeds from the mining and export of its resources by Chinese companies.
National assembly speaker Christophe Mboso has sought a proper audit of mining contracts with a strict review of the government’s deals with “certain partners such as the Chinese contract.” Finance minister Nicholas Kazadi has alleged that these contracts were skewed in favor of Beijing and wants the tax obligations on these companies increased.
“Sicomines, it seems, is not keen on paying the $200 million that the DRC is asking for after making huge profits,” Kazadi said, as quoted by the East African newspaper on April 8. “They have to pay...”
In February 2023, the impoverished but mineral-rich nation called for an overhaul of a $6.2 billion mining deal with China. This followed president Felix Tshisekedi’s demand for a bigger share of the country’s vast mineral resources than that agreed upon by his predecessor.
“It is not normal that those with whom our country has signed exploitation contracts are getting richer while our people remain poor,” president Tshisekedi said in May 2021. “It is time for the country to readjust its contracts with the miners in order to seal win-win partnerships.”
DRC holds its stake in Sicomines through the state-run mining firm Gecamines. In exchange for China’s 68% share, Beijing-based Sinohydro Corp and China Railway Group agreed to build roads and hospitals for the central African nation of 95 million people.
At 3.5 million metric tons, DRC has 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, according to the UN.Around 80% of the cobalt it produces goes to China for processing today. DRC is also Africa’s largest copper producer.
Both minerals are critical in the global switch to clean energy, as they are used in electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines, a field that China wants to continue dominating.
Kinshasa, however, is now dissatisfied.
In February 2023, the state audit office Inspection Generale des Finances (IGF) asked for an additional $17 billion in infrastructure investment from China, looking to make such deals fairer to DRC.
An IGF report released at the time showed that Sicomines had so far invested $822 million on infrastructure projects in the DRC, despite earning $10 billion from contracts in the project over the past 10 years.
IGF now wants China to increase its investment in Sicomines from the current $3 billion to $20 billion and also hire more Congolese staff.
Some of them were even apparent barter dealswith individual Chinese companies for stakes in DRC’s copper, gold, and cobalt mines.
President Tshisekedi, who will be seeking re-election in December, will use the issue in his campaign in the guise of righting the Kabila regime’s wrongs, observers have said.
THE AWAKENING
The Democratic Republic of Congo is auditing mining deals skewed towards China
Kinshasa wants substantial earnings from Chinese companies mining in its territory
This plant processes copper and cobalt in Lubumbashi, 2,297 kms from the capital Kinshasa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is pushing for an audit of the country’s mining contracts with China, which it says heavily favour Beijing.
Kinshasa wants a bigger slice of the proceeds from the mining and export of its resources by Chinese companies.
National assembly speaker Christophe Mboso has sought a proper audit of mining contracts with a strict review of the government’s deals with “certain partners such as the Chinese contract.” Finance minister Nicholas Kazadi has alleged that these contracts were skewed in favor of Beijing and wants the tax obligations on these companies increased.
“Sicomines, it seems, is not keen on paying the $200 million that the DRC is asking for after making huge profits,” Kazadi said, as quoted by the East African newspaper on April 8. “They have to pay...”
In February 2023, the impoverished but mineral-rich nation called for an overhaul of a $6.2 billion mining deal with China. This followed president Felix Tshisekedi’s demand for a bigger share of the country’s vast mineral resources than that agreed upon by his predecessor.
“It is not normal that those with whom our country has signed exploitation contracts are getting richer while our people remain poor,” president Tshisekedi said in May 2021. “It is time for the country to readjust its contracts with the miners in order to seal win-win partnerships.”
China’s mineral-for-road deals are losing sheen
Sicomines is a mining company owned by both DRC (32%) and China with around 6.8 million tonnes in mineral reserves. It owns most of the 19 mines in the country.DRC holds its stake in Sicomines through the state-run mining firm Gecamines. In exchange for China’s 68% share, Beijing-based Sinohydro Corp and China Railway Group agreed to build roads and hospitals for the central African nation of 95 million people.
At 3.5 million metric tons, DRC has 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, according to the UN.Around 80% of the cobalt it produces goes to China for processing today. DRC is also Africa’s largest copper producer.
Both minerals are critical in the global switch to clean energy, as they are used in electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines, a field that China wants to continue dominating.
Kinshasa, however, is now dissatisfied.
In February 2023, the state audit office Inspection Generale des Finances (IGF) asked for an additional $17 billion in infrastructure investment from China, looking to make such deals fairer to DRC.
An IGF report released at the time showed that Sicomines had so far invested $822 million on infrastructure projects in the DRC, despite earning $10 billion from contracts in the project over the past 10 years.
IGF now wants China to increase its investment in Sicomines from the current $3 billion to $20 billion and also hire more Congolese staff.
The root of Kinshasa’s problem lies in the past
Most of these infrastructure-in-exchange-for-minerals were put in place informally by DRC’s previous government under former president Joseph Kabila between 2007 and 2008.Some of them were even apparent barter dealswith individual Chinese companies for stakes in DRC’s copper, gold, and cobalt mines.
President Tshisekedi, who will be seeking re-election in December, will use the issue in his campaign in the guise of righting the Kabila regime’s wrongs, observers have said.
Azzler
Top 20
Stonewall? That guy is just a bullshit artist troll probably shorting AVZ.
I called attention to his obvious bullshit ages ago and he blocked me.
Just think about that, if he was acting covertly to undermine AVZ, would he then announce what he's done?
Lol what an absolute flog.
Oh he probably is watching right now, gnashing his teeth about paying a year of interest on his short. Hi there loser
I called attention to his obvious bullshit ages ago and he blocked me.
Just think about that, if he was acting covertly to undermine AVZ, would he then announce what he's done?
Lol what an absolute flog.
Oh he probably is watching right now, gnashing his teeth about paying a year of interest on his short. Hi there loser
JAG
Top 20
Yep, he has been caught out and yes I baited him and the dick fell for it. Been watching him for a while as he has close relationships with Lars (Klaus)Stonewall? That guy is just a bullshit artist troll probably shorting AVZ.
I called attention to his obvious bullshit ages ago and he blocked me.
Just think about that, if he was acting covertly to undermine AVZ, would he then announce what he's done?
Lol what an absolute flog.
Oh he probably is watching right now, gnashing his teeth about paying a year of interest on his short. Hi there loser
Yes, he is watching and YES, I'm going after him
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
24/05/2023
Cruiser Posted
Cruiser Posted
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
24/05/2023
Related to Cruiser’s Post above
Related to Cruiser’s Post above
Remark
Top 20
Maybe she's grown tired of brown paper bags?unfortunate translation
Since her arrival on Chinese soil, Minister Antoinette N'samba has been in great demand by the direct leaders of all Chinese companies operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to deal orally with her
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
01/06/2023
Frank Posted
The Chinese puzzle of mining contracts in the DRC
President Félix Tshisekedi's trip to Beijing has strengthened economic and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
But for the renegotiation and the possible rebalancing of the "contract of the century" of 2007, largely unfavorable in the DRC, we will still have to wait.
For 4 days, the Democratic Republic of Congo had its eyes riveted on the Middle Kingdom.
The first visit of a Congolese president to China since 1972 has sparked renewed interest in the Asian superpower, Congo's first economic partner, mining activities oblige.
Félix Tshisekedi's state visit was eagerly awaited on a major issue: that of the mining contract signed in 2007 by Kinshasa and a group of Chinese companies.
A contract deemed unbalanced for the Congolese side, which President Tshisekedi has announced that he wants to renegotiate with Beijing.
The famous "contract of the century", negotiated under Joseph Kabila, gave birth to Sicomines, a company 68% owned by Chinese partners to supply itself with copper and cobalt in exchange for the construction of infrastructure in Congo (roads, hospitals, railway lines, etc.).
Regaining control of Sicomines
15 years later, the accounts are still not there.
Of the 3 billion dollars of infrastructure that China was to build, only 822 million dollars have been disbursed, while Beijing has collected more than 11 billion dollars thanks to minerals extracted from Congolese soil.
Since taking office, Felix Tshisekedi has repeatedly announced that he wants to rebalance the contract with China.
Kinshasa hinted, before the departure of the Head of State for Beijing, to want to reverse the percentage of shares held by the Congolese State in Sicomines, via its company Gécamines.
Instead of the current 32%, Kinshasa wants to want to hold 70% of Sicomines.
The DRC is also asking to double the investment in infrastructure from 3 to 6 billion dollars, and is asking for a “lump sum indemnity” of 2 billion dollars as “compensation”.
No renegotiation in Beijing
Renegotiating, revisiting or rebalancing the "contract of the century" were the objectives displayed by Kinshasa before Félix Tshisekedi's visit to Beijing.
The expectation was great on the Congolese side... maybe a little too much.
On arrival, the final press release published at the end of the visit leaves the Congolese a little on their hunger.
No mention, or even allusion, is made of the famous “minerals for infrastructure” contract of 2007.
Several memoranda have been signed between the DRC and China, but none clearly specifies a rebalancing of the mining contract.
The final text remains very general.
It stipulates that "China will encourage more companies to invest and establish themselves in the DRC and to participate in the construction of infrastructures in accordance with the programs enacted and presented by the Congolese party to contribute to economic diversification and industrialization of the country.
An agreement at the end of 2023?
A Congolese government source indicates that the 2007 mining agreement was not mentioned during the meeting between Félix Tshisekedi and his counterpart Xi Jinping, but the final document nevertheless speaks of an "upgrading of the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which greatly satisfied the Congolese delegation.
For Kinshasa, the meeting between the two Heads of State paves the way for the establishment of a discussion framework for the mixed commission (Congolese State-Chinese companies) to renegotiate the "contract of the century", so that the DRC can "regain his rights".
The Congolese delegation has hinted that an agreement could be reached by the end of 2023.
A timing that would be timely for Félix Tshisekedi who is a candidate for re-election next December.
Beijing can let go
The other memoranda signed between Beijing and Kinshasa on better cooperation between the two state televisions, or China's support for peace talks for eastern Congo, do not hide a certain disappointment with Félix Tshisekedi's visit to Beijing.
Perhaps Kinshasa had overstated its intentions of wanting to overturn the table, renegotiate the contract and reverse the balance of power.
The problem is that Kinshasa does not weigh very heavily against its Chinese partner.
Felix Tshisekedi, like his predecessor Joseph Kabila, is walking on eggshells with Beijing.
The Congolese State and its Lilliputian budget of around ten billion dollars needs China, its first trading partner with its 21.7 billion dollars, imports and exports combined.
Difficult to dictate conditions when the balance of power is so unbalanced.
In this little game, Felix Tshisekedi knows that he will not be able to impose a deal in which Beijing is not a winner.
But the Chinese have understood that they can also let go of a little ballast and give tokens of goodwill to a president who is seeking a second term and who needs to display some successes in the economy.
In Beijing, Felix Tshisekedi played the card of stability and continuity.
An argument that always hits the mark in Beijing.
mediacongo
Frank Posted
The Chinese puzzle of mining contracts in the DRC
President Félix Tshisekedi's trip to Beijing has strengthened economic and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
But for the renegotiation and the possible rebalancing of the "contract of the century" of 2007, largely unfavorable in the DRC, we will still have to wait.
For 4 days, the Democratic Republic of Congo had its eyes riveted on the Middle Kingdom.
The first visit of a Congolese president to China since 1972 has sparked renewed interest in the Asian superpower, Congo's first economic partner, mining activities oblige.
Félix Tshisekedi's state visit was eagerly awaited on a major issue: that of the mining contract signed in 2007 by Kinshasa and a group of Chinese companies.
A contract deemed unbalanced for the Congolese side, which President Tshisekedi has announced that he wants to renegotiate with Beijing.
The famous "contract of the century", negotiated under Joseph Kabila, gave birth to Sicomines, a company 68% owned by Chinese partners to supply itself with copper and cobalt in exchange for the construction of infrastructure in Congo (roads, hospitals, railway lines, etc.).
Regaining control of Sicomines
15 years later, the accounts are still not there.
Of the 3 billion dollars of infrastructure that China was to build, only 822 million dollars have been disbursed, while Beijing has collected more than 11 billion dollars thanks to minerals extracted from Congolese soil.
Since taking office, Felix Tshisekedi has repeatedly announced that he wants to rebalance the contract with China.
Kinshasa hinted, before the departure of the Head of State for Beijing, to want to reverse the percentage of shares held by the Congolese State in Sicomines, via its company Gécamines.
Instead of the current 32%, Kinshasa wants to want to hold 70% of Sicomines.
The DRC is also asking to double the investment in infrastructure from 3 to 6 billion dollars, and is asking for a “lump sum indemnity” of 2 billion dollars as “compensation”.
No renegotiation in Beijing
Renegotiating, revisiting or rebalancing the "contract of the century" were the objectives displayed by Kinshasa before Félix Tshisekedi's visit to Beijing.
The expectation was great on the Congolese side... maybe a little too much.
On arrival, the final press release published at the end of the visit leaves the Congolese a little on their hunger.
No mention, or even allusion, is made of the famous “minerals for infrastructure” contract of 2007.
Several memoranda have been signed between the DRC and China, but none clearly specifies a rebalancing of the mining contract.
The final text remains very general.
It stipulates that "China will encourage more companies to invest and establish themselves in the DRC and to participate in the construction of infrastructures in accordance with the programs enacted and presented by the Congolese party to contribute to economic diversification and industrialization of the country.
An agreement at the end of 2023?
A Congolese government source indicates that the 2007 mining agreement was not mentioned during the meeting between Félix Tshisekedi and his counterpart Xi Jinping, but the final document nevertheless speaks of an "upgrading of the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which greatly satisfied the Congolese delegation.
For Kinshasa, the meeting between the two Heads of State paves the way for the establishment of a discussion framework for the mixed commission (Congolese State-Chinese companies) to renegotiate the "contract of the century", so that the DRC can "regain his rights".
The Congolese delegation has hinted that an agreement could be reached by the end of 2023.
A timing that would be timely for Félix Tshisekedi who is a candidate for re-election next December.
Beijing can let go
The other memoranda signed between Beijing and Kinshasa on better cooperation between the two state televisions, or China's support for peace talks for eastern Congo, do not hide a certain disappointment with Félix Tshisekedi's visit to Beijing.
Perhaps Kinshasa had overstated its intentions of wanting to overturn the table, renegotiate the contract and reverse the balance of power.
The problem is that Kinshasa does not weigh very heavily against its Chinese partner.
Felix Tshisekedi, like his predecessor Joseph Kabila, is walking on eggshells with Beijing.
The Congolese State and its Lilliputian budget of around ten billion dollars needs China, its first trading partner with its 21.7 billion dollars, imports and exports combined.
Difficult to dictate conditions when the balance of power is so unbalanced.
In this little game, Felix Tshisekedi knows that he will not be able to impose a deal in which Beijing is not a winner.
But the Chinese have understood that they can also let go of a little ballast and give tokens of goodwill to a president who is seeking a second term and who needs to display some successes in the economy.
In Beijing, Felix Tshisekedi played the card of stability and continuity.
An argument that always hits the mark in Beijing.
mediacongo
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
05/07/2023
Frank Posted
USA: American parliament wants to fight against the exploitation of children in the mines
A measure has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives to ban imported products containing minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries, but derived from child labor, other forms of abuse, in the Democratic Republic of Congo .
The bill targets China, which Republican Chris Smith of New Jersey says is using forced labor and child exploitation to mine cobalt in the impoverished but resource-rich Central African country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt, an ore used to make lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles.
China controls the majority of cobalt mines in DRC, which strengthens Beijing's position in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and other products.
"The Chinese Communist Party is exploiting the Democratic Republic of Congo's vast cobalt resources to fuel its economy and global agenda, on the backs of trafficked workers and child laborers," Smith's office charged in a statement following the introduction of the bill on Friday (June 30).
Tense relations between the United States and China
This bill comes at a time of strained relations between the United States and China.
Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator" at a fundraiser last month, prompting protests from Beijing.
The remarks follow tensions over a Chinese surveillance balloon allegedly shot down by the US government, US restrictions on China's access to advanced microchips, and the status and security of Taiwan. .
The Biden administration, however, is seeking to ease those tensions with the visit to China this week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, which follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday last month.
China has a 68% stake in Sicomines, a copper and cobalt company that also has a stake in Congolese state-owned mining company Gecamines, following a 2008 counter-mineral infrastructure deal that Congo is now looking to reconsider, as he fears he is not getting enough out of it.
Congo is also Africa's leading copper producer and recently discovered lithium, which is one of the key components of electric vehicle batteries.
Extraction of these minerals has been associated with child labor and exploitation, environmental abuse and security risks.
In a 2016 report, Amnesty International accused Chinese companies of using child labor in Congo's cobalt mines and multinational tech companies for failing to address human rights in their supply chains. supply.
US law would prohibit the importation of "goods, articles or merchandise containing metals or minerals, in particular cobalt and lithium and their derivatives, extracts, products, smelted or processed, in whole or in part, by child labor or forced labor in the DRC," Chris Smith's office said.
The law would also require the president to identify and impose sanctions, including visa and transaction bans, on foreign actors who facilitate and exploit child labor in Congo.
mediacongo
Frank Posted
USA: American parliament wants to fight against the exploitation of children in the mines
A measure has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives to ban imported products containing minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries, but derived from child labor, other forms of abuse, in the Democratic Republic of Congo .
The bill targets China, which Republican Chris Smith of New Jersey says is using forced labor and child exploitation to mine cobalt in the impoverished but resource-rich Central African country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt, an ore used to make lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles.
China controls the majority of cobalt mines in DRC, which strengthens Beijing's position in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and other products.
"The Chinese Communist Party is exploiting the Democratic Republic of Congo's vast cobalt resources to fuel its economy and global agenda, on the backs of trafficked workers and child laborers," Smith's office charged in a statement following the introduction of the bill on Friday (June 30).
Tense relations between the United States and China
This bill comes at a time of strained relations between the United States and China.
Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator" at a fundraiser last month, prompting protests from Beijing.
The remarks follow tensions over a Chinese surveillance balloon allegedly shot down by the US government, US restrictions on China's access to advanced microchips, and the status and security of Taiwan. .
The Biden administration, however, is seeking to ease those tensions with the visit to China this week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, which follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday last month.
China has a 68% stake in Sicomines, a copper and cobalt company that also has a stake in Congolese state-owned mining company Gecamines, following a 2008 counter-mineral infrastructure deal that Congo is now looking to reconsider, as he fears he is not getting enough out of it.
Congo is also Africa's leading copper producer and recently discovered lithium, which is one of the key components of electric vehicle batteries.
Extraction of these minerals has been associated with child labor and exploitation, environmental abuse and security risks.
In a 2016 report, Amnesty International accused Chinese companies of using child labor in Congo's cobalt mines and multinational tech companies for failing to address human rights in their supply chains. supply.
US law would prohibit the importation of "goods, articles or merchandise containing metals or minerals, in particular cobalt and lithium and their derivatives, extracts, products, smelted or processed, in whole or in part, by child labor or forced labor in the DRC," Chris Smith's office said.
The law would also require the president to identify and impose sanctions, including visa and transaction bans, on foreign actors who facilitate and exploit child labor in Congo.
mediacongo
Frank
Top 20
China accused of scores of abuses linked to ‘green mineral’ mining
www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/05/china-mineral-mining-green-energy
MoneyBags1348
Top 20
Here’s the full article Frank
China accused of scores of abuses linked to ‘green mineral’ mining
Watchdog identifies 102 violations over past two years as country extracts ‘transition minerals’ for green-energy technologyNina Lakhani Climate justice reporter, and Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent
Thu 6 Jul 2023 09.02 AEST
A new report into China’s dominance in the green-energy market has identified more than a hundred allegations of environmental and human rights violations linked to its overseas transition mineral investments over the past two years.
China dominates the processing and refining of lithium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, chromium, aluminium and rare-earth elements – and the manufacturing of technologies like solar panels, wind turbines and batteries for electric vehicles (EV), which require so-called transition minerals.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a corporate watchdog that tracks the local impact of thousands of global businesses, identified 102 alleged abuses in 2021 and 2022 linked to Chinese mining interests spanning 18 countries.
Copper is the mineral most frequently associated with allegations of harm, followed by nickel. The abuses include Indigenous rights violations, attacks against grassroots leaders, water pollution, ecosystem destruction and unsafe working conditions.
The highest number of alleged abuses – 27 – were recorded in Indonesia, which has the world’s largest nickel reserve, followed by Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Zimbabwe. More than 70% of the alleged violations were documented in these five countries where weak governance and human rights abuses have been widely reported, and where China is a major economic partner.
The findings underline growing concerns that the transition to renewable energy is repeating unjust business practices that have long dominated fossil-fuel and mineral extractions, with Indigenous people, and marginalised rural and communities of colour most likely to bear the brunt of violations and least likely to benefit from the extracted natural resources.
China is not alone. Allegations of human rights violations, environmental harms and labour abuses are rife in mining operations linked to Canadian, US, UK, Australian and European companies and investors – which has long been taking place alongside the extraction of fossil fuels, according to data collated by the watchdog and multiple other human rights and environmental groups.
But experts have warned that the global dash for transition minerals needed for green-energy technologies threatens to provoke a new wave of land-grabs, water shortages, environmental damage and community conflicts as countries rush to meet their climate-action goals with little thought about the collateral damage.
“The energy and land needed for exploration, extraction and processing of transition minerals leaves behind a significant carbon footprint, characterised by human rights abuses and puts more strain on scarce surface and ground water resources,” said Eric Ngang from Global Witness, which documented more than 300 assassinations of anti-mining activists between 2012 and 2021, the worst violence linked to any environmentally harmful industry.
“While mining is needed for green transition, it will ramp up the [negative] impacts if appropriate regulations are not developed and implemented … as transnational companies and business enterprises seem to take advantage of weak governance,” Ngang added.
China has been buying up overseas mines and investing heavily in mineral-rich countries like Indonesia and Zimbabwe, and is set to dominate the supply chain for years to come despite US and European efforts to diversify the market.
Mining for transition minerals is often “the defining project for China’s relationship with these countries,” said Antonia Timmerman, an editor for the China Global South Project, a website, who has investigated Chinese involvement in Indonesia’s nickel mines. That means that abuses can be exacerbated by a lack of accountability from local partners and governments, who are keen to court investment from Chinese companies.
“This is a dirty business,” Timmerman said. In Indonesia, for example, the government “can be very brutal when it comes to defending and protecting these companies, especially the large ones. This happened long before the EV phenomenon.”
The report only includes alleged harms published by the media, academics and nonprofits related to the transition mineral supply chain, so the true number could be higher.
It also suggests Chinese companies are failing to comply with Beijing’s commitments on transparency and human rights policies, with less than one in five of the Chinese firms responding to the allegations when approached by the Centre – compared to 56% of mining companies globally.
In May, China’s mining industry business association launched a pilot mediation scheme for communities, workers and other stakeholders to file complaints against companies involved in any part of the minerals supply chain. It is the first grievance mechanism established by a Chinese industry association.
But participation is voluntary and the scheme has no enforcement powers. “The core function of this mechanism is to promote and facilitate the parties to a dispute to have open communication channels … and facilitate problem resolution by providing professional advice and services,” said Li Yanling, one of the scheme’s principal researchers.
But Chinese companies do not work in a vacuum, according to Betty Yolanda, director of regional programmes at BHRRC. “Many are suppliers to western buyers like Tesla, Ford and BMW … [who] need to be examined to check whether they have fulfilled their own due diligence responsibility across their supply chains.”
China accused of scores of abuses linked to ‘green mineral’ mining
Watchdog identifies 102 violations over past two years as country extracts ‘transition minerals’ for green-energy technology
