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Current Affairs

Why African leaders value seamless transcontinental links over US-China rivalry

Washington may have framed the Lobito Corridor as de-risking mineral supply chains from Chinese influence, but governments in Africa are prioritising a “handshake” with Beijing…

By Samantha Johnson / May 4, 2026
Washington may have framed the Lobito Corridor as de-risking mineral supply chains from Chinese influence, but governments in Africa are prioritising a “handshake” with Beijing and other corridors to create a seamless transcontinental connection.
The United States views the Lobito Corridor as a direct rival to the China-backed 1,860km (1,156-mile) Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) that stretches from Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia to Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s eastern coast.

The stakes are high as Tazara recently secured a US$1.4 billion investment from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

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Under a 30-year concession, the route’s rehabilitation is backed by a commercial joint venture including Chinese mining giants Zijin Mining and CMOC, alongside COSCO Shipping and Jiayou International Logistics.

The venture creates a Chinese-controlled logistics chain from the mining pits to the port at Dar es Salaam.

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Meanwhile, officials in Luanda, Kinshasa and Lusaka are pursuing interoperability to link the Atlantic port of Lobito with the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam and Mozambican ports.

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