China to Invest $2.8 Billion in Zimbabwe in Lithium for Regime Legitimacy, a Win-Win Deal

The People’s Republic of China has announced a massive USD 2.79 billion investment in its lithium mining operations in Zimbabwe. Mining in the African nation will help placate Beijing’s growing hunger for critical minerals; however, as a dictatorial government, we cannot expect this financial influx to help Zimbabweans other than the country’s rulers. China’s mining operations in Zimbabwe China’s mining operations in Zimbabwe have significantly increased this year. Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, part of China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, opened a USD 300 million lithium processing plant in Goromonzi, about 80 kilometers southeast of Harare, the country’s capital. The plant’s opening, which…