“Two distinctly different kinds of Chinese activities occur in the mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): state-led, large-scale investment financed by China Export-Import(EXIM) Bank; and private investment in mineral processing, trading and, to an extent, mining. While the minerals that interest the various Chinese actors are mostly located in the DRC’s mineral-rich south-eastern Katanga province, the nature of Chinese engagement differs greatly between the two categories. This policy brief seeks to outline these two strands of engagement and to discuss the different Chinese actors’ commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The questions that this policy brief seeks to answer are: To what extent are Chinese firms active in the DRC’s mining sector committed to initiating and completing CSR activities? What are the implications of this for the sustainable development of the DRC’s Katanga province? What measures can be undertaken to improve the situation?”
