"China’s Zijin Mining Group is hoping to tap into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) lithium deposits by launching an exploration project in a partnership with state-owned firm La Congolaise d’Exploitation Minière (Cominiere). The joint venture, called Katamba Mining, has already secured mining rights to two greenfield exploration and mining projects at the periphery of the Manono lithium mine in the DRC, the parties said in a statement."