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Senate officials warn China’s dominance of Africa’s critical minerals threatens U.S. supply chains; urge commercial diplomacy
Summary
At a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing, lawmakers and State Department officials said China’s control of mineral processing and refining in Africa poses national security and economic risks and called for increased U.S. investment, embassy engagement and better use of development finance institutions.
At a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing, lawmakers and senior State Department officials said China’s dominance of mineral processing and refining in Africa poses an “acute national security threat” to U.S. supply chains for defense and high‑tech industries.
The hearing focused on how to strengthen U.S.–Africa partnerships to secure supplies of cobalt, lithium, rare earths and other materials. Chairman Cruz opened the session saying, “China is a global threat that must be confronted globally,” and described Chinese Belt and Road loans as a tool Beijing uses to gain leverage over African mineral assets.
Why this matters: U.S. defense platforms and advanced technologies depend on critical minerals.…
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