In recent years, the international community has increasingly scrutinized China’s economic operations across the developing world, where a pattern of environmental degradation and social disruption has emerged. From the plains of Zimbabwe to the mountains of Myanmar, Chinese mining practices often prioritize rapid resource extraction over sustainable development and community welfare.
The global transition to renewable energy has only intensified concerns, given China’s dominance in the mining of critical minerals. While Chinese investments account for just 8 per cent of Africa’s total mining output—far less than traditional Western giants like Anglo-American—China’s strategic resource acquisition and its status as the top destination for African minerals underscore its growing influence.
In 2019, mineral exports from Sub-Saharan Africa to China reached $10 billion, raising serious concerns about the impact of these operations.
In Zimbabwe’s Mutasa District, the operations of Sino Africa Huijin Holdings exemplify these challenges. The company’s gold mining venture has transformed a once-peaceful community into an environmental battleground. Residents endure continuous blasting, structural damage to their homes, and the looming threat of water contamination from cyanide leaching. According to the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association, workers who attempt to assert their rights risk violent retaliation, including beatings and shootings.
Myanmar’s Kachin state presents an even graver picture. Chinese companies have essentially taken over the rare earth mining sector, leaving vast swaths of pristine forest in ruin. The environmental destruction is staggering—Chinese imports of Myanmar’s rare earth elements surged by 70 per cent in early 2023 alone, pointing to an aggressive resource acquisition strategy that goes beyond commercial interests.
Labour conditions in Chinese-operated mines have also drawn widespread criticism. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where over 40,000 children work in artisanal mines, Chinese investments have exacerbated child labour issues. These children endure gruelling seven-day work weeks, often exceeding 12-hour shifts, using rudimentary tools and facing exposure to radioactive minerals, injuries, and disease.
The environmental consequences extend far beyond the mining sites themselves. In the Central African Republic, the 2020 departure of four Chinese gold mining companies left behind a deadly legacy. Seven people died at abandoned mining sites, while mercury contamination rendered the Ouham River—a crucial source of food and water—dangerously polluted. Similar patterns of environmental destruction are evident across Chinese mining operations, where inadequate environmental impact assessments and weak regulatory compliance have become the norm.
China’s resource extraction model thrives within a web of corruption and political influence. Local officials, instead of safeguarding public interests, often enable environmental destruction. In Zimbabwe, reports suggest that some officials use mine closures as opportunities for extortion. In Myanmar, the military junta’s dependence on Chinese support ensures that mining operations proceed with little oversight.
The strategic implications of China’s dominance in the rare earth sector are particularly alarming. By controlling nearly 90 per cent of global processing capacity, China has created a near-monopoly on materials critical for modern technology and the green energy transition. This control extends beyond economics; it has geopolitical ramifications, as demonstrated by China’s 2010 rare earth embargo against Japan.
Addressing these challenges requires a shift in international oversight. Simply imposing sanctions on host countries while ignoring China’s role has proven ineffective. The global community must establish mechanisms for transparent, environmentally responsible resource extraction while preventing the strategic stockpiling of critical minerals. As the world accelerates its transition to green energy, securing ethical and sustainable supply chains is paramount. Until then, communities from Africa to Southeast Asia will continue to bear the brunt of China’s aggressive resource acquisition strategy, and the world’s clean energy future will remain vulnerable to supply chain manipulation.
The author is an Assistant Professor in International Relations, National Defence University
