The European Union is making a bold move in Africa with a €2.3 billion investment into the Lobito Corridor, spanning Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Angola. The goal? Secure access to critical raw materials like copper and cobalt while reducing reliance on China.
But there’s a twist.
Investigations have revealed that key parts of this project—including the Port of Lobito—have Chinese ownership stakes. Even more striking, the advanced Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, celebrated as a major milestone, is nearly 45% owned by Zijin Mining.
So what does this mean?
Europe is attempting to build an alternative to China’s global dominance in supply chains—especially in rare earths and critical minerals—but is finding China already deeply embedded in the very infrastructure it’s funding. This directly challenges the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, which was designed to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
This raises a bigger geopolitical question:
Can the West truly decouple from China when China is already integrated into global trade, infrastructure, and production at nearly every level?
As the world shifts toward a multipolar order, Europe is trying to position itself as a third global power between the US and China. But internal divisions across its 27 member states and external pressure from allies like the United States complicate that ambition.
Meanwhile, China continues its steady rise—expanding influence quietly, strategically, and at scale.
Is this the future of global power? Or is Europe already too late to the game?
