Africa’s resources should not be used as a tool for geopolitical rivalry, Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned, as the US challenges Chinese dominance of critical minerals on the continent.
“Africa’s resources belong to Africa,” Xi told Botswanan President Duma Boko in Beijing on Tuesday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
He said it was a “historical injustice” that an unfair international division of labour had left the continent at the bottom of industrial and value chains, and China would contribute to plans for greater added value for Africa’s mining sector, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Xi said China would be glad to see other parties providing genuine support for Africa’s development, and would work to create more favourable conditions for business investment and operation, Xinhua reported.