China has long pursued a policy of neutrality in African conflicts to avoid adverse impacts on its extensive commercial interests. However, the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has prompted China to adjust its strategy. Nevertheless, China still attempts to maintain a delicate balance between the DRC and Rwanda to sustain good relations with both countries and ensure the smooth operation of its commercial activities, especially the procurement of key minerals.
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03-31, 2025In the past, China has avoided publicly criticizing African governments for supporting conflict participants. For example, China has rarely commented on the series of coups that have taken place in the Sahel region of West Africa since 2020, only calling on national leaders to consider the interests of the people. Professor Zhou Yuyuan, an expert on African development and security issues at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, pointed out that Beijing has long pursued a policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. Therefore, in addition to calling on international organizations such as the United Nations or the African Union to conduct diplomatic or political mediation, China avoids proposing solutions to conflicts.
In 2021, the M23 anti-government armed group, supported by Rwanda, resurfaced in eastern Congo (DRC). Initially, China only criticized unidentified "foreign forces" for providing support to the M23 armed group. However, in recent weeks, China broke with convention and publicly mentioned Rwanda. This is related to the M23's occupation of important cities such as Goma and Bukavu since January of this year. China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations stated in February: "China reiterates its hope that Rwanda will stop its military support for the M23 and immediately withdraw all its troops from the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo."
Professor Zhou Yuyuan believes that although the wording is generally still relatively mild, "China 'hopes' that Rwanda will stop its support, but has not condemned it." However, shortly thereafter, China supported a United Nations Security Council resolution that explicitly called on the Rwandan Defense Force to "cease its support for the M23 and immediately and unconditionally withdraw from the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo." Professor Zhou believes that the shift in China's attitude may have been driven by UN expert reports that provided strong evidence of Rwanda's support for the M23. The DRC's abundant mineral resources, which are crucial to China, may also be another factor prompting China to change its attitude.
The conflict in eastern Congo (DRC) is mainly concentrated in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, where many Chinese-operated gold mines are located. It is currently unclear whether these mines have been affected by the conflict. The M23 has also occupied mining areas containing coltan, of which China imports large quantities. Tantalum is extracted from this ore and is used in everyday electronic products such as cars and televisions, and mobile phones. The DRC is the source of 40% of the world's tantalum supply. Although Rwanda also has its own coltan mines, analysts believe that these mines cannot account for its substantial increase in production. In addition, China also imports cobalt from the DRC, which is essential for the lithium battery industry. Dozens of Chinese companies, many of which are state-owned, are also building roads, telecommunications, and hydropower facilities in the DRC. These investments may indicate that finding a solution to the conflict as soon as possible is in China's long-term interest.
