U.S. Aid Cuts and an Ebola Crisis Open the Door to Beijing's Influence in Congo

As American assistance to central Africa contracts and an Ebola outbreak strains the Democratic Republic of Congo's health system, China has moved to fill the gap with medical supplies, financing and infrastructure offers. Analysts warn the shift could translate short-term humanitarian goodwill into long-term access to Congo's cobalt and copper reserves, which sit at the center of global battery supply chains.