The China choice

Congo-Kinshasa's dilemma over how to finalise a US$9 billion minerals barter deal with China without jeopardising a debt-reduction deal with the International Monetary Fund will not be resolved until September at the earliest. That is when the Chinese companies will get the results of their evaluation of mineral deposits in Katanga; those figures will determine the cost structure of the deal under which Congo trades copper and cobalt for the building of roads, railways and power stations. If the results are not good enough, the Chinese will have to reassess the deal's terms.

Article Tags:
Congo-Kinshasa, China, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Joseph Kabila, Adolphe Muzito, Mobutu Sese Seko, Belgium

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