Chinese state-backed miners dominate the control of supply from the Congo, although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited in August to pitch US interests. On August 4 last year, AVZ’s lawyer in Kinshasa wrote to Cominiere to urge it to abandon negotiations to sell a 15 per cent interest in Manono to state-owned Chinese miner Zijin. However, the plea fell on deaf ears. Zijin said it lawfully registered its 15 per cent stake at Congo’s commerce registry in November last year in exchange for a $US33.4 million payment. Congo’s Commercial Court of Lubumbashi rejected AVZ’s attempt to have the…