In 2016, Freeport-McMoRan, a mining company based in Arizona, made a deal to sell a site in Congo that is significant in China's control of the global cobalt supply. Cobalt is a crucial raw material for electric car batteries and plays a key role in transitioning away from fossil fuels. Perriello, a high-ranking US diplomat in Africa at the time, raised concerns within the State Department. Kapanga, the Congolese general manager of the mine, pleaded with the American ambassador in Congo to intervene, warning that the decision was a mistake and could jeopardize years of relationship building with Congo, a major source of cobalt for the world. Presidents from Dwight D Eisenhower onwards provided significant financial aid to the mineral-rich nation, including military equipment and transport planes. Richard Nixon and the State Department, led by Hillary Clinton, worked to maintain this relationship. Freeport-McMoRan also invested billions in the nation before selling the mine to a Chinese company. The Chinese company, China Molybdenum, successfully purchased the Tenke Fungurume mine during the Obama administration and later acquired another cobalt reserve from Freeport-McMoRan during the Trump presidency. China's strategy to acquire Congo's cobalt resources has given it a significant advantage over the United States in the race to dominate the automotive industry's electrification. The New York Times investigation uncovered a history of cobalt acquisitions in which the United States effectively handed over resources to China, neglecting to protect years of diplomatic and financial investments in Congo. Perriello, who has since left government, was aware of the plan to sell Tenke Fungurume in 2016 and believed that American ownership would benefit both the United States and the people of Congo, despite the owner's questionable track record in other countries. Freeport-McMoRan received positive feedback for its operations in Congo, employing many locals and investing in schools, healthcare, and water supply. Perriello sought advice on how to maintain American control of the mine from Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was an assistant secretary of state at the time. Despite efforts to keep the mine under American ownership, Chinese companies were the only serious bidders, highlighting the importance of taking action. "They were able to move swiftly and more quickly than anyone else could," stated Kathleen L Quirk, president of Freeport-McMoRan, in an interview. "As a result, we were able to finalize the deal." Freeport-McMoRan was determined to sell due to their significant losses in the oil and gas industry and the shift towards renewable energy. With mounting debt, the company had no choice but to sell its Congo operations. The American reaction was minimal, as it was simply a financial transaction. The country lacks control over transactions conducted by American companies overseas. The crisis, which revealed significant gaps in the understanding of US leaders, presented an opportunity that the Chinese government is skilled at seizing, as revealed by newly discovered documents, emails, and interviews with various individuals in China, Congo, and the United States. In the past year, with the acceleration of the clean energy transition, both the US government and private sector have been working quickly to rectify past errors by seeking out new sources of cobalt and using cobalt-free batteries in certain electric vehicles. However, these efforts pale in comparison to China's aggressive moves to dominate critical resources for a green future, such as cobalt and lithium. Nixon engaged in Cold War gamesmanship as he stood outside the White House with the first lady one morning in August 1970. President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire was preparing to visit, marking a decade since the country gained independence from Belgium and became Congo. With abundant natural resources at his disposal, Mobutu held significant global influence. He not only controlled these resources but also served as a crucial intermediary for the United States in its efforts to prevent the Soviet Union from expanding its influence in Africa. Securing access to minerals and metals in Congo had been a priority for the United States dating back to World War II, with Albert Einstein even writing to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939 urging him to stockpile Congolese uranium for the first atomic bombs. By the mid-1960s, the CIA had established one of its largest operations in the country, funding a group of mercenaries and Congolese soldiers. They conducted missions with US warplanes to combat rebels supported by the Soviet Union. Mobutu, who would later become a corrupt dictator, viewed the Americans as a valuable ally in expanding the country's mining industry. In an effort to develop Tenke Fungurume, he approached a well-known New York diamond merchant named Maurice Tempelsman for mining rights, as revealed in declassified cables. However, just before his trip to Washington in August 1970, Mobutu surprised many by announcing that he had chosen a Belgian company to develop the mine. Washington entered a state of emergency as it attempted to regain control of the situation, displaying extreme generosity. American diplomat Herman J Cohen remembered President Nixon instructing his administration to give Mobutu whatever he desired. The US had already provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Mobutu, and Nixon agreed to give him multiple C-130 transport planes. The climax of the campaign occurred at a formal dinner for Mobutu at the White House, according to Cohen. After the meal, Tempelsman took Mobutu on a private boat trip on the Potomac. News quickly spread that the Americans were going to receive the mining concession. Mark Mollison, a mining engineer from New York City, got into a Toyota Land Cruiser in southeastern Congo to visit Tenke Fungurume, which was now an abandoned construction site. Mollison was impressed by what he saw. He observed hillsides with patches of exposed earth where copper and cobalt were visible. Mollison remembered that the ore was much more valuable than what they had been mining in Arizona. In the late 1990s, Mollison was part of a new group of mining executives who had come to take over after the Tempelsman group had to abandon their efforts due to various obstacles, including rebels who disrupted transportation of the minerals. Kissinger, as secretary of state, helped draft a message of apology to the Congolese government in 1976, expressing regret for the project being put on hold. Years after Mobutu was removed from power, interest in the region was sparked once again. Rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila had taken control of valuable land near Tenke and Fungurume, where the mine was located. This led to speculation that Congo was experiencing a new beginning. Western mining executives and their Wall Street bankers descended on the area, meeting at a hotel where Kabila's representatives secured financial commitments for mining access. A banker's memo summarized Kabila's perspective as "Rules of the game: you give and I give." Lundin Group, a Canadian mining company, was so determined to finalize a deal that it agreed to provide $50 million to the rebels. When Mollison arrived several months later, his task was to assess whether his company, now known as Freeport-McMoRan, should collaborate with Lundin to continue the work started by Tempelsman at Tenke Fungurume. Freeport-McMoRan later promoted this project as the largest private investment ever in Congo. Mollison wondered what the area would require, mentioning electric power. There was a large amount of roads and water available at the mine. Freeport-McMoRan acquired a majority stake of 57.75%, Lundin received 24.75%, and Gécamines held onto 17.5%. Despite facing another civil war in Congo in 2007, the project began in full swing by the end of the year. Freeport-McMoRan engaged in an extensive construction project, including building a highway for exporting cobalt and copper to other parts of Africa and refurbishing a hydroelectric plant at a cost of $215 million. Pierrot Kitobo Sambisaya, a metallurgist at the mine, described the company's efforts as impressive. Freeport-McMoRan successfully developed one of the most advanced and efficient cobalt and copper mines globally. Freeport-McMoRan made a major mistake by expanding into fossil fuels, spending $20 billion to acquire two oil and gas companies in 2012. When oil prices dropped, the company faced significant debt and had to sell Tenke Fungurume for $2.65 billion to China Molybdenum in May 2016. CEO Richard Adkerson expressed regret over the decision. The executives at the mine, including Kapanga, who also had experience as a Congolese presidential adviser and diplomat, were troubled by the news. Kapanga contacted the American ambassador, James Swan, expressing concern that the United States was letting go of its significant investment in Congo by allowing issues at Tenke Fungurume mine to persist. Swan declined to comment when approached by The New York Times. American diplomats in Congo were focused on urging President Joseph Kabila to step down at that time. He assumed control after his father's assassination in 2001 and proceeded to steal millions of dollars from the public treasury over the next 15 years. Despite the lack of attention in the United States, the sale of Tenke Fungurume was completed in November 2016. President Trump's administration showed interest in countering China's control over mineral supplies, particularly cobalt, following the sale of Tenke Fungurume. Nevertheless, history repeated itself as Freeport-McMoRan still possessed an undeveloped site with a significant source of cobalt, known as Kisanfu. Despite the company's announcement to sell the site, there was little to no response from the US government, which was concerning to Nazak Nikakhtar, the former Commerce Department assistant secretary responsible for monitoring critical mineral supplies. The sale to China Molybdenum for $550 million proceeded as planned, just before Trump's presidency ended. The final significant American investment in Congo's cobalt and copper mines disappeared with it.