The Pacific island nation of Kiribati has announced that it is considering a « potential collaboration » with China to explore its mineral-rich seabed, an activity criticized for its environmental risks.
The government of this island nation, home to 130,000 people, announced that it has begun discussions with Chinese Ambassador to Kiribati, Zhou Limin, following the failure of a deal with the Canadian company The Metals Company to explore these resources. As a result of these discussions, the Kiribati government highlighted an « exciting opportunity to explore a potential collaboration for the sustainable exploration of [its] seabed resources, » according to a statement released on Monday, March 17, 2025.
Last February, the Cook Islands signed an agreement with China for deep-sea mining.
Kiribati has strengthened its ties with China since severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2019. This microstate holds deep-sea mining exploration rights over a 75,000 km² area of the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, China is seeking to expand its military, economic, and diplomatic influence in the Pacific by forging closer ties with small island nations in the region, challenging the historical dominance of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Polymetallic Nodules
For Kiribati’s opposition leader, Tessie Lambourne, China seems eager to access « our maritime space for its own interests. I always say that our government is bending over backward to please China. » In February, China signed a five-year agreement with the neighboring Cook Islands to collaborate on exploring their seabed’s mineral resources.
Deep-sea mining remains a highly controversial activity. Industry players hope to one day generate billions of dollars by extracting polymetallic nodules—potato-sized mineral deposits containing manganese, cobalt, copper, and nickel, which are essential for electric battery production. However, environmental advocates fear this process could devastate marine ecosystems and warn of many unknown risks.
Source: FranceInfo
