Chinese leader Xi Jinping called the President of Sierra Leone, promising to help the small West African country with its fight on the pandemic. He emphasized that the two sides should “expand mutually beneficial cooperation.” Analysts speculate that the move is related to the rich mineral resources in Sierra Leone that China needs. China is the world’s largest steel producer. However, as the low quality and quantity of domestic iron ore are far from meeting the needs of domestic steel production, 80 percent of the ore is imported, mostly from Australia and Brazil. Last year, the Australian government called on the international community to launch an independent investigation into the origins of the Chinese Communist Party virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. China soon retaliated by starting an invisible trade war between the two countries. To remove its dependence on imports from Australia, Beijing issued an unofficial ban, urging …