THE United States appears to be increasing its intervention in African countries to restrict the operations of Chinese mining companies, highlighting the need for China to secure a stable supply chain for critical minerals through enhanced collaboration with alternative mineral suppliers.

The US has just intervened in the sale of a Congolese copper mine to a Chinese company by encouraging the Democratic Republic of Congo's state-owned miner Gécamines to review the sale, the Financial Times (FT) reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the matter.