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Just learned that China owns most of the cobalt mines in the DRC. (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Are they responsible for the conditions there?

Of course all of the other "China is imperialist" claims are bullshit but it seems like this is true and could potentially lead to valid accusations of imperialism or at least bad regulations.

What's the reason for what's going on in the Congo, I guess? What is happening on a detailed level? I can't find many resources outside of blatantly western shit.

I know what's going on and like the bad things but I'm asking why basically. Is it China?

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If China can sell more cobalt ore of higher quality and cheaper than "artisanal miners" while not paying taxes, as an example, they could lead to the reduction of "artisanal miners", that is, people who got their sustenance from mining, without actually improving anything or leading to less money getting to people and less money staying in the coutnry. So that reduction by itself doesn't lookt like any evidence of "good" things as it could just as easily be reached by "bad" things.

This can be good but more information would be necessary to properly contextualize this I think.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Artisanal miners is a misnomer and I wouldn't be surprised if it was picked on purpose. It implies some farm-to-table local miner who caringly nurtures the cobalt nuggets into a basket, but it's not that. It actually refers to mining done without machinery and, by extension, often with no regard for safety or protection. Artisanal miners can be employed by companies as well as proletarians, except the work will be more dangerous. There's also no implication in this activity that it pays better to do it solo than being paid by a company. I would assume most solo, low-gear miners sell their ore to one of many middlemen regardless and don't make that much more money than if they were employed in a bigger mine. Their livelihood is predicated on their productivity in finding and mining ore, not on a wage. I'm not sure that's necessarily better than wage labor.

Miners employed in mines that are partly owned by China (there are no mines owned 100% by chinese companies, they own shares in existing mines) are getting their sustenance from mining just like 'artisanal miners' are. Artisanal miners are just moving to those bigger companies instead when their activity dries up.