For over a decade, Chinese companies have played an increasing role in international mining investment, spending billions of dollars buying out foreign mines worldwide. However, Chinese mining firms have recently been facing disputes in the host countries over payments, environmental protests by locals, or government policy changes. These ongoing disputes have cost the companies dearly. According to Sinosure, China’s state-owned export insurance company, Chinese state-owned firms have acquired considerable equities in world-class copper, cobalt, and lithium mining operations worldwide. China Molybdenum owns a copper-cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chinese-controlled MMG owns the Las Bombas copper mine in Peru, and Tianqi Lithium owns significant shares of lithium ore reserves in Chile. The Sinosure report also pointed out that the Chinese investment in copper, aluminum, rare earth, and lithium deposits worldwide could help China grow its key sectors such as new energy vehicles, high-tech manufacturing, and power …