Liberia: China Rejects 'Weaponization' of Critical Minerals As It Courts Liberia's Mining Sector

What the report says

China’s ambassador to Liberia, Yin Chengwu, used an international mining conference in Monrovia on Wednesday to present Beijing as a partner in developing Liberia’s newly identified critical minerals. Speaking at the Liberia International Mining and Energy Conference and Exhibition at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County, he said China opposes the use of critical mineral supplies as leverage in geopolitical disputes and said Chinese cooperation would support a stable investment climate.

According to the report, Yin cited a Chinese-funded geological survey as the most comprehensive mineral study Liberia has had in more than 50 years. He said the survey and the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s review identified a broader range of deposits than Liberia’s traditional exports, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, uranium and other minerals. He urged Liberia to move beyond raw exports and to expand local processing, value addition, and links between mining, energy and infrastructure.

Yin outlined four areas for deeper cooperation: geological surveys and training, investment and value addition, energy, and greener mining practices. He also said Chinese companies in the Bong and Bomi East iron ore projects have created jobs and supported roads and port facilities. His remarks came amid a separate U.S. appeal for investment at the same conference, underscoring broader competition for influence in Liberia’s mining sector.

Liberian officials also used the event to stress tighter state oversight. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai called for domestic refining of gold and new plans for a sovereign wealth fund and state mining company, while Mines and Energy Minister Matenokay Tingban said much of the country remains unexplored.