The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking part in the 28th edition of the China Mining Conference and Exhibition, being held from 10 to 12 September 2026 in Tianjin, China. Led by the Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, the Congolese delegation is taking advantage of this major international gathering to present the country’s mining potential, promote investment opportunities and strengthen partnerships with global players in the sector.
The DRC presents its potential to international investors
At the opening of the proceedings, the Minister of Mines took part in discussions alongside government representatives, leaders of mining and industrial groups, financial institutions, researchers, experts and investors from several regions of the world.
Held under the theme “Win-win, green and smart cooperation”, this edition of the China Mining Conference takes place in a context marked by strong global demand for strategic minerals, particularly copper, cobalt and other resources essential to the energy transition industries.
For the DRC, this meeting is an opportunity to highlight its geological assets and to promote a mining vision focused on value creation, industrialization and economic development.
The DRC-China Forum at the heart of the discussions
On the sidelines of the conference, the DRC organized the DRC-China Forum, devoted to prospects for cooperation and investment in the mining sector. Several bodies under the Ministry of Mines, including CAMI, CEEC, SGNC, SAEMAPE, IGM, CTCPM, Gécamines and FOMIN, presented their missions, their areas of activity as well as the opportunities offered to investors.
In his address, Louis Watum Kabamba recalled that the performance of the mining sector must no longer be assessed solely through production volumes, but also through the value added locally.
The minister stressed the importance of creating skilled jobs, transferring technology, developing the skills of the domestic workforce and supporting the growth of Congolese companies around the mining value chain.
Towards a new stage of cooperation with China
The Tianjin meeting also highlights the complementarity between the DRC’s abundant mineral resources and Chinese expertise in several fields, including mineral processing, infrastructure, industrial technologies and logistics.
Through this platform, Kinshasa intends to encourage investments capable of supporting the local transformation of natural resources and contributing to the emergence of a more integrated mining industry.
A Congolese stand to attract partners
The Congolese presence is also marked by an exhibition stand inaugurated by the Minister of Mines. This space attracts the attention of investors, industrialists and partners interested in the opportunities offered by the Congolese subsoil.
The discussions focus in particular on the country’s geological potential, mining projects, local mineral processing and the establishment of industrial value chains.
In Tianjin, the DRC thus reaffirms its ambition to move beyond the model of simple exports of raw materials in order to promote mining that creates wealth, jobs and economic opportunities, in line with the guidelines of the Congolese authorities.
Héritier Maila
Keywords: DRC, Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, China Mining Conference, Tianjin, China, copper, cobalt, mining investments, local transformation, Gécamines, FOMIN, strategic minerals.
Photo credit: Tyngrwey / Wikimedia Commons — Tianjin, 02/11/2025. Photo de contexte / Context photograph; not the 2026 conference. · CC0 1.0 — https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:天津天际线202511.jpg
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