U.S.-CHINA RESOURCE RIVALRY IN AFRICA: ASSESSING THE POLITICAL ECONOMY IMPLICATIONS FOR DR CONGO AND ZAMBIA

Abstract

The intensifying rivalry between the United States and China over strategic resources has increasingly transformed Africa into an arena of geopolitical and economic competition. Resource-rich states such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia have emerged as critical sites within this competition due to their vast deposits of cobalt and copper, which are essential for global industrial production and emerging energy-transition technologies. While existing studies have examined China–Africa relations and broader great-power competition separately, limited scholarly attention has been paid to the political economy implications of U.S.–China resource rivalry in these two countries. This study examines how the strategic competition between both powers influences resource governance, economic dependence, and developmental outcomes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Adopting a qualitative comparative case study design, the study utilizes secondary data drawn from academic literature, policy reports, and institutional publications. The study is anchored on an eclectic theoretical framework integrating Neo-Realism, Dependency Theory, and Resource Curse Theory. It argues that while U.S.–China competition may generate investment and infrastructure opportunities, it also risks reinforcing structural dependency and deepening existing governance and developmental challenges within resource-rich African states.