China Steps Up Investment in Africa's Railway Infrastructure

China is accelerating investments in Africa’s railway networks to secure transport routes for critical minerals, reviving Cold War-era infrastructure like the Tazara railway built under Mao Zedong. The overhaul targets key mineral-rich regions, enabling faster export of cobalt, lithium, and rare earths to global markets amid rising demand for green and quantum technologies. Bloomberg reports the strategy aligns with China’s broader push to dominate supply chains by controlling logistics, reducing Western reliance on alternative trade corridors. Analysts highlight Africa’s underdeveloped rail systems as a bottleneck for mineral exports, making Chinese funding a geopolitical lever in the resource competition. The move follows a 2026 trend where infrastructure investments increasingly dictate access to strategic materials, reshaping global economic and technological power dynamics.