The China in Africa Podcast Who Controls the Battery Age? Congo, China, and the New Resource Order
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Mar 5, 2026 Nicholas Niarchos, investigative journalist and author of The Elements of Power, maps how critical minerals shaped global power. He traces China's decades-long buildout in Congo, the rise of informal Chinese traders, the Sicomines deal, artisanal mining and child labor, and why Western efforts to secure battery metals may be too late.
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Reporter’s Path From Athens Clinic To Katanga
- Nicholas Niarchos discovered Congo's paradox: immense mineral wealth yet deep poverty after meeting Congolese migrants in Greece.
- That led him to report on artisanal mines, Chinese traders, and the broader ecosystem in Katanga during 2019 and 2022 trips.
Artisanal Mining Is Economically Central
- Artisanal mining supplies a shifting ~17–20% of cobalt but politically functions as the largest single 'producer' by aggregate.
- Niarchos and Jérôme explain artisanal mining underpins local livelihoods and political rent networks, not just supply noise.
China’s Congo Footprint Goes Back Decades
- China's engagement in Congo dates to the 1960s–70s, including loans and infrastructure under Mobutu, not just a recent push.
- Early pragmatic ties and aid set institutional relationships that later eased large-scale 2000s investments.
