Ann: MOU with Port Authority of Douala, page-11

... it seems to me that the Chinese have been happy to sit on their hands and play the long waiting game....

How much longer can they sit on their hands? EEA certainly helps but after all, it is a world class project and it probably is the largest deposit in the world, in quantity and quality as specified by James Durrant. Why would they let go of this 2 billion tonnes bauxite considering the supply security, economic security and national security risks they are facing?

Can't wait to see the next announcement

China warns of risk to critical resources, aims to strengthen domestic exploration and mining

…China is ramping up its internal hunt for critically important minerals and energy resources to bolster strategic reserves, as Beijing doubles down on economic security and continues to warn of the rising risks associated with relying on external markets.

“China has a high degree of foreign dependence on some important mineral resources, and once the international situation changes, it will certainly affect economic security or even national security,” Wang Guanghua, the nation's minister of natural resources, said in an interview with the state-run Xinhua on Thursday.......

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3205689/china-warns-risk-critical-resources-aims-strengthen-domestic-exploration-and-mining