Source: Global Times
["Special correspondent of Global Times, Ren Zhong"] "Although the United States has positioned the Lobito Atlantic Railway, an important railway network in Angola, as a strategic move against China, the CEO of Lobito Atlantic Railway Company (LAR) stated that the company is a purely commercial entity and does not consider any geopolitical factors," reported Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on the 23rd. LAR's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fournier, said in an interview that the Lobito Atlantic Railway project is not intended to counter China, and LAR, which is responsible for the renovation, operation, and maintenance of the railway, has close commercial ties with China.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway is part of the "Lobito Corridor" plan proposed during the presidency of former U.S. President Biden, which aims to operate a trade railway network connecting Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zambia. According to the South China Morning Post, the plan aims to reduce the risk of Western critical mineral supply chains being dependent on China. During his visit to Angola just before leaving office in December last year, Biden emphasized this project, stating that the U.S. had committed to invest nearly $4 billion and an additional $600 million.
After Trump returned to the White House, he drastically cut foreign aid, causing concerns that the U.S. might abandon the "Lobito Corridor." However, in April this year, an official stated that the U.S. would still be committed to funding the plan, with LAR, established by commodity company Trafigura, Portuguese construction giant Mota-Engil, and Belgian railway operator Vecturis SA, responsible for operating the railway in the plan. The company recently appointed Fournier as its new CEO.
The South China Morning Post reported that although the U.S. views the "Lobito Corridor" as a key part of "reducing Chinese risks," the new CEO clarified, "We are part of this corridor, but only one component... We are in the logistics sector, responsible for operating the railway and ports. This has nothing to do with geopolitics."
Fournier said that LAR has close commercial ties with China, serving as a major logistics supplier for Chinese mining companies, and the company's equipment also relies on Chinese manufacturing. "We are transporting copper from eight Chinese enterprises in the Kolwezi area." He added, "Sulfur transported through Lobito Port and railway has been sold to Chinese solvent extraction and electrolysis factories in the DRC."
In addition, Fournier mentioned that the company has purchased 1,570 containers from China for railway transportation, all of which have already arrived in Lobito. The company has also signed a contract with CRRC, ordering 275 carriages, of which 100 have already been delivered.
The South China Morning Post noted that despite this, the "Lobito Corridor" remains part of a broader competition over control of mineral trade between China and Africa. The report cited analysis from Professor Joseph Chihuda of the University of Kinshasa in the DRC, who stated that Lobito Port is the only rapid route for key minerals produced in the Copperbelt region of the DRC and Zambia to reach the Atlantic.
Chihuda also said that China has "significant advantages" in this field because China has provided funding for infrastructure development in most East African countries, placing it in a favorable position to access key mineral resources in the east of the DRC.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7542287856417489454/
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