Chinese mining in Africa and its global controversy

Chinese mining in Africa has been widely misconceived in terms of scale and characteristics. Based on research and fieldwork in Zambia’s Copper-Cobalt Belt from 2007 to 2015, we find that Chinese mining firms in Africa exploit resources and labor in much the same way that non-Chinese companies do. Chinese firms have distinctive features, however. We dispute the centerpiece of the discourse on Chinese mining in Africa, a 2011 report on Chinese copper mining in Zambia by Human Rights Watch, and show the report is empirically inaccurate and conceptually flawed. Chinese mining in Africa is not what Human Rights Watch claims it to be, but that does not mean that all is well. Fundamental problems exist and pertain to mining generally and mining in Africa specifically. Our 2014 survey of mine workers in Zambia found that the overwhelming majority see national ownership of mining assets as beneficial for overall development in Zambia and for the livelihood of mineworkers.