—-Time to critically review Access Management Agreement
IPNEWS: Fears of a Chinese dominance in Liberia’s critical minerals have heighten in Washington, after Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the Select Committee on China sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising concerns about Ivanhoe Atlantic, a company with significant Chinese state-linked ownership that has received statements of support from the State Department for a multibillion-dollar rail project in Liberia.
The project could possibly receive U.S. taxpayer funding from the federal government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.
In the letter, Moolenaar highlights how Ivanhoe has a significant ownership stake from companies connected to the Chinese government, including United Front–linked entities as well as firms sanctioned or restricted by the U.S. government. Moolenaar warns that such relationships exemplify how the CCP seeks to dominate and control critical mineral supply chains through indirect stakes in foreign mining ventures.
“China CITIC Bank Corporation (CITIC) and Zijin Mining Group Company Limited (Zijin) together hold roughly 40% ownership stakes in Ivanhoe Mines, a sister company of Ivanhoe in the Ivanhoe mining portfolio. CITIC is wholly owned by China’s Ministry of Finance, and in 2022 the Federal Communications Commission placed telecommunication services controlled by CITIC on the Covered List for posing “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.” Zijin was added in 2025 to the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act” (UFLPA) Entity List due to use of forced labor in China. CITIC and Zijin’s equity stakes in Ivanhoe exemplify how the CCP secures critical mineral supply chains through indirect, minority-share investments in foreign mining firms as part of the “Two Markets, Two Resources” strategy to penetrate global markets,” writes Moolenaar.
Currently, the Concession and Access Agreement (CAA) between the Government of Liberia and Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. officially signed in July 2025 and is undergoing the legislative ratification process. The agreement, which aims to establish a multi-user rail corridor to transport iron ore from Guinea through Liberia, was signed by the Liberian government’s Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee (IMCC) and Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. on July 5, 2025.
The deal was submitted to the Liberian Legislature in October 2025 for ratification, which is required by Liberian law for major concessions. Joint committees in both the House and Senate began holding hearings in December 2025.
The agreement has faced significant scrutiny and debate within the legislature and civil society with both raising issues of the agreement being signed behind closed doors without media access.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about legal procedures being bypassed and a lack of documentation, such as feasibility and environmental impact studies, which could indefinitely suspend the deal’s endorsement.
One senator indicated the deal, as assessed by his office, only reached a 77% compliance rating and would not receive his vote without improvements in community benefits, road paving, and a clear rail operations plan involving all parties, including rival ArcelorMittal.
U.S. lawmakers have also raised geopolitical concerns regarding Ivanhoe Atlantic’s reported ties to Chinese state-owned enterprises, suggesting risks to U.S. interests and Liberian sovereignty.
The agreement requires full legislative ratification to proceed to implementation. Public hearings are ongoing as of December 2025 to determine its fate.
The agreement signed by the executive branch but is currently under intense review by the Liberian Senate and House of Representatives, with no guarantee of ratification in its current form.
