U.S. and DRC Officials to Discuss Strategic Minerals and Countering Chinese Influence
Aaron Poynton, President of the Africa-US Business Council (A-USA Business Council), has announced an upcoming visit by Congolese officials to Washington, D.C., for discussions on U.S.-DRC collaboration in strategic minerals.
In a letter to Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Poynton emphasized that the visit presents a unique opportunity to advance commitments that could redefine U.S. engagement in the region.
Smith recently chaired a conference on “Metals, Minerals, and Mining: How the CCP Fuels Conflict and Exploitation in Africa.”
Poynton is advocating for a meeting between Congolese authorities and Smith to establish modalities ensuring responsible mining, stronger economic partnerships, and enhanced U.S. national security.
He also suggested that these discussions could later involve DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, aligning both countries’ efforts to promote U.S. strategic interests in the DRC.
The discussions are also expected to focus on how U.S. businesses, policymakers, and leaders can counter China’s growing influence in the DRC while ensuring equitable and sustainable development in the region.
In a strong critique of Chinese mining operations in the DRC, Joseph Mulala Nguramo, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, accused China of exploiting African resources through corruption, poor governance, and human rights violations. Mulala, a researcher from Goma, eastern DRC, urged the United States to counter Chinese maneuvers in the country.
“The U.S. strategy to counter China in Africa should be a bipartisan effort, transcending administrations and short-term political considerations,” Mulala argued.
Amid these geopolitical tensions, the Trump administration recently announced new measures to increase U.S. production of critical minerals, including uranium, copper, potash, and gold.
The decision was justified by the “serious threats” to U.S. security and economic stability stemming from dependence on “hostile foreign powers” for mineral supplies.
As global competition over critical minerals intensifies, the upcoming U.S.-DRC discussions could mark a pivotal step in shaping new economic and security partnerships while addressing the challenges posed by China’s dominance in Africa’s mining sector.
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