非洲关键矿产的大国竞争:动因、特征与影响

The Rising Geopolitical Competition for Critical Minerals in Africa:Motivation,Characteristics and Impact

全球能源转型、供应链多元化需求以及地缘政治因素的上升,凸显了非洲关键矿产的战略价值,进而塑造了当前大国在非洲关键矿产上的竞争。西方国家企业依然是非洲矿产包括关键矿产的主要外部投资者,但中国凭借关键矿产的贸易、产业和市场优势,建立了在全球关键矿产供应链的重要地位。当前,大国在非洲关键矿产上的竞争呈现出竞争战略的阵营化、竞争程度的差异化、竞争策略的工具化的特征。阵营化表现为美国领导的关键矿产联盟与中国关键矿产供应链体系之间的关系;差异化表现为关键矿产联盟内不同力量,如美国和欧盟以及国家内部不同利益攸关方在战略执行程度上的差异;工具化表现为大国把关键矿产当作博弈和竞斗的工具。拥有关键矿产或在供应链中占据主导的一方实行出口管制或所谓“断供”,或者将资源治理政治化,通过炒作、攻击、矮化竞争对手的矿业合作,影响和削弱竞争对手。大国竞争正对供应链安全、非洲发展以及中非合作带来多重影响,进而构建了以关键矿产为中心的复杂的大国与非洲关系。这一变化给中非合作带来了新的不确定性挑战,但同时也凸显中非协调合作的必要性和重要性。

Critical minerals are the key to energy transformation and green transformation,which are crucial to a country's economic development,national security and international competitiveness.This reality is shaping the current competition among major powers in Africa with plentiful resources.Western companies are still dominating the mining of African minerals,including critical minerals.China’s investment share in African minerals is still low,and it is relatively concentrated in critical minerals such as cobalt,cooper and lithium etc.However,China has built strong advantage in global critical mineral supply chain by Ixring the center of global refining,trade and market of critical minerals.The ongoing geopolitical competition for Africa’s critical minerals can be defined with three points.The first is the systemic competition,which is manifested in the competition between U.S.-led Critical Minerals Alliance and China’s critical mineral supply chain system.The second is differential competition,which results from the strategic differences between China and the West,as well as the difference among the West such as the U.S.anti the European Union.The thin!is instrumental competition,the profound phenomenon of which is the rising weaponization and politicalization of critical minerals.The competition among major powers is creating a complex relationship between major powers and Africa,and exerting multiple impacts on supply chain security,Africa*s development,and China-Africa cooperation.This change has brought new and uncertain challenges to China-Africa cooperation,but it also highlights the necessity of strategic coordination between China and Africa.