China will punish its own companies if they break laws in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Following the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s suspension of Chinese companies over illegal activities, Beijing said it will impose sanctions on the businesses if they are found guilty. It is rare for China to condemn the activities of its own companies in Africa and elsewhere, despite existing accusations of illegal operations, human rights abuses and environmental violations. China has a strong presence in the DRC’s mining sector, with its companies having invested heavily in the central African country’s abundant copper and cobalt resources.