Liberia: China Rejects 'Weaponization' of Critical Minerals As It Courts Liberia's Mining Sector
China's ambassador to Liberia showed up in Monrovia this week with a clear message: Beijing wants in on the country's critical minerals, and it wants to be seen as a partner, not a predator.
The ambassador used the visit to push back against concerns about how major powers handle access to strategic resources, rejecting what he described as the "weaponization" of critical minerals. The pitch positioned China as a cooperative player in developing Liberia's newly identified deposits.
The details from Monrovia are still thin, but the timing is telling. As global competition for critical minerals heats up, Liberia is finding itself courted by some of the world's biggest players, and the choices it makes now could shape its economic future for decades. Watch this space.
Originally published by AllAfrica.