China urges lithium value addition partnership

Source: China urges lithium value addition partnership – herald

Bongani Ndlovu in BEIJING, China

THERE should be deeper cooperation between Zimbabwe and China in the extraction and value addition of critical minerals such as lithium, with the partnership being a major opportunity for industrialisation drive.

Speaking during a lecture on Governance by Chinese Leaders and Its Implications for Zimbabwe at the ongoing Seminar for Media Professionals for Zimbabwe in Beijing on Wednesday, Professor Zhang Yongpeng said African countries, including Zimbabwe, were well-positioned to benefit from growing global demand for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

The seminar is organised by the Academy for International Business Officials, which operates under the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

Prof Zhang noted that Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia possess vast mineral resources that are increasingly important in the global transition to clean energy.

“China is currently the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles and also possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of rare earth minerals.”

Prof Zhang said rising global energy insecurity and geopolitical tensions had made cooperation between China and African countries more important than ever.

He also commended Zimbabwe’s policy direction aimed at promoting value addition and beneficiation of minerals instead of exporting raw ores.

Prof Zhang said Zimbabwe’s regulations encouraging the establishment of lithium processing and refining plants were a positive development that could help transform the country’s economy.

“The important thing is not only to produce raw ores, but also to manufacture second-stage and third-stage products through local processing and industrial production,” he said.

Prof Zhang added that China possesses advanced technologies required to process critical minerals such as lithium and rare earth elements into higher-value products.

“China has strong technological capabilities in processing critical minerals and manufacturing products linked to these resources,” he said.

This has created significant opportunities for Chinese companies to invest in Zimbabwe by establishing processing plants, refineries and manufacturing facilities.

According to Prof Zhang, such investments would help Zimbabwe build industrial value chains, strengthen local industries and accelerate economic industrialisation.

“This is a very important and precious opportunity for African countries to industrialise themselves,” he said.

Prof Zhang also said Zimbabwe’s push to limit the export of unprocessed raw minerals should not be viewed negatively by investors, but rather as an opportunity to deepen economic cooperation.

He explained that Chinese enterprises could move beyond simply extracting and exporting raw materials by partnering with Zimbabwe in local mineral processing and manufacturing.

“This is good cooperation because it allows both countries to work together in processing and producing value-added products locally.”

Prof Zhang said stronger Zimbabwe-China cooperation in the mining and beneficiation sector could play a major role in transforming Zimbabwe into a regional industrial hub while supporting China’s growing demand for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies.