On April 21, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. released its first quarter report for 2026. During the reporting period, the company achieved operating revenue of 98.498 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.79% compared to 78.928 billion yuan in the same period last year; total profit reached 31.584 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 115.03%; net profit was 25.166 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 101.90%. In the lithium segment, the company achieved lithium carbonate equivalent production of 16,000 tons. Several lithium mine projects are steadily ramping up capacity, and the northeastern project of the Manono Lithium Mine is expected to be completed and commence production in June 2026.

The lithium mine Zijin Mining Group Co. plans to open this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to be one of the world’s biggest suppliers of the battery metal.The Chinese company – which has grown at breakneck speed to become a top producer of copper and gold – has been developing the Manono lithium project in southeastern Congo since it secured the prized deposit in 2023.

According to people familiar with the matter, in January 2026 officials from the White House and the U.S. State Department urged Australia’s AVZ Minerals Ltd. to sell its interest in the Manono lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a U.S. company. The move is seen as part of Washington’s effort to strengthen control over critical-minerals supply chains. The only U.S. company publicly known to have expressed interest is KoBold Metals, though its offer is considered too low and no agreement has been reached. Meanwhile, the Congolese government revoked AVZ’s mining permit and granted part of the concession to China’s Zijin Mining Group, further complicating ownership of the project. AVZ is currently seeking to restore its rights through international arbitration.

Recently, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. issued an announcement on its three-year (2026-2028) production plan for major mineral products and its long-term vision outline for 2035. The announcement shows that the production of ore-derived zinc (lead) reached 400,000 mt in 2025, is expected to remain flat at 400,000 mt in 2026, and is planned to reach 400,000-450,000 mt in 2028.

On June 16, the case of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. and Ajlan & Bros Mining Company establishing a new joint venture entered the public announcement period, which will last from June 16, 2025, to June 25, 2025. According to the public announcement form for simplified cases of concentration of undertakings, Zijin Mining, through Gold Merit International Investment Company Limited, signed a Joint Venture Agreement with Ajlan & Bros Mining, proposing to establish a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. The main business of the joint venture will involve the exploration and potential mining of potential mineral reserves (including zinc, copper, and gold) associated with the Jabal Sayid mineralized zone in Saudi Arabia, as well as the operation, management, and development of mines, and the production and sale of minerals.

On June 16, the case of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. and Ajlan & Bros Mining Company establishing a new joint venture entered the public notification period, which runs from June 16, 2025, to June 25, 2025. According to the Notification Form for Simplified Cases of Concentration of Undertakings, Zijin Mining, through Gold Merit International Investment Company Limited, signed a Joint Venture Agreement with Ajlan & Bros Mining, proposing to establish a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. The main business of the joint venture will involve exploring and potentially mining potential mineral reserves (including zinc, copper, and gold) associated with the Jabal Sayid mineralized zone in Saudi Arabia, as well as the operation, management, and development of mines, and the production and sale of minerals.