China rivalry ‘no excuse’: US Democrats allege corruption in Trump’s mining deals

Lawmakers say strategic competition over critical minerals doesn’t justify abandoning safeguards that prevent funds from being misused

“We also cannot say that because China is a strategic competitor, every mining deal is automatically a good deal.”

Beijing holds a near monopoly in the processing of major minerals such as graphite, gallium, tungsten, germanium and rare earth elements – metals that are critical to military systems, semiconductor manufacturing and robotics.

While US industry leaders and mining experts have welcomed the investments on national security grounds, many have raised concerns about a lack of transparency and favouritism in awarding mining contracts.