Chinese premier in landmark visit to Zambia focusing on access to critical minerals

China’s premier Li Qiang is on a two-day visit to Zambia that will focus on the refurbishment of a Cold War-era railway line to further improve Beijing’s access to critical minerals.

Beijing is heavily invested in mining in Zambia, which is one of the world’s top producers of copper, a metal that is integral to the production of electronic devices.

The two countries are due to sign documents to start the $1.4 billion upgrade of the…