Washington may have framed the Lobito Corridor as de-risking mineral supply chains from Chinese influence, but governments in Africa are prioritising a “handshake” with Beijing and other corridors to create a seamless transcontinental connection.
The United States views the Lobito Corridor as a direct rival to the China-backed 1,860km (1,156-mile) Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) that stretches from Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia to Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s eastern coast.
The stakes are high as Tazara recently secured a US$1.4 billion investment from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
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Under a 30-year concession, the route’s rehabilitation is backed by a commercial joint venture including Chinese mining giants Zijin Mining and CMOC, alongside COSCO Shipping and Jiayou International Logistics.
The venture creates a Chinese-controlled logistics chain from the mining pits to the port at Dar es Salaam.
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Meanwhile, officials in Luanda, Kinshasa and Lusaka are pursuing interoperability to link the Atlantic port of Lobito with the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam and Mozambican ports.