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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 22741, member: 2262"] Chinese Control of Zimbabwe's Resources Raises Alarms. A leading voice in Zimbabwe warns that China's grip on the nation's wealth keeps growing stronger. Eddie Cross, a respected economist, points to troubling signs of Chinese dominance in the country's mining sector. Eddie Cross reveals that 85,000 Chinese people live in Zimbabwe. They run operations that strip away valuable minerals, leaving damaged land behind. The damage could harm future generations, he says. Zimbabwe sits on vast treasures beneath its soil. The nation owns the world's best chrome deposits - worth about $100 trillion. It also has rich stores of lithium and other precious minerals. Yet these riches flow mainly to China, Cross explains. Chinese companies will soon ship 5 million tons of lithium to their home country each year. This brings Zimbabwe $4 billion, more than its famous tobacco crop. But Cross worries that even more valuable minerals might be mixed in with the lithium. Gold also leaves Zimbabwe for China through unclear channels. Chinese mining equipment appears everywhere across the country. The operations tear up the land, breaking environmental rules. They mine coal for their steel plants and send extra supplies back to China. Local communities suffer as Chinese firms rush to grab lithium and other minerals. Officials look away when these companies break environmental laws. The scenic Boterekwa area in Shurugwi shows the scars of Chinese mining work. China builds roads and structures, but mainly to help its projects succeed. In Zimbabwe, raw materials are not turned into finished goods. Instead, basic metal pieces are shipped to China for processing. Coal is burned for power because it costs less than working with the local electric company. Cross asks what Zimbabwe should do about this situation. The partnership with China brings some money but leaves behind destroyed land and lost opportunities for local growth. [/QUOTE]

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