KoBold Makes Offer for Congo Lithium as Country Courts US, page-1851

But if push came to shove?
CATL is involved in mining through its subsidiary Yichun Shidai New Energy Mining, which owns the Jianxiawo lepidolite mine in Jiangxi, China.
This establishes their capability to engage in mining operations and secure lithium resources.
Regarding the Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, CATL, through its subsidiary Suzhou CATH Energy Technologies, already acquired a 24% stake in the project in September 2021 for $240 million from AVZ Minerals.
This investment indicates CATL's interest in securing lithium supply from Manono, one of the world’s largest hard rock lithium deposits.
However, they do not own the mine outright, as ownership is shared with AVZ Minerals (51%) and La Congolaise d’Exploitation Minière (25%).