Trade deal signing expected as DRC leader visits China this...

Trade deal signing expected as DRC leader visits China this weekThe meeting could pave the way for the two countries to seal a $6bn infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese investors.DRC President Felix Tshisekedi speaks during a news conference in Paris on May 18, 2021
The president of the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, will visit China from May 24 to 29 during which he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping to review and sign several key trade deals.The visit was announced by the Chinese foreign ministry on Monday. A meeting could pave the way for the two countries to formally overhaul and seal a $6bn infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese investors.The DRC is the world’s largest producer of battery material cobalt. It also has significant deposits of diamonds, gold, lithium and tantalum.