U.S. should reestablish diplomatic presence in Congo39;s copper hub
Commercial ties with Zambia would help
U.S. is heavily reliant on China for key minerals
Western miners lag Chinese rivals in tapping Africa39;s minerals

JOHANNESBURGWASHINGTON, April 9 Reuters The U.S. must boost commercial ties with African countries to curb reliance on China for supplies of critical minerals, a Washingtonbased think tank said on Tuesday.

U.S. economic and national security depend on securing a reliable supply of critical minerals, including from Africa, the United States Institute of Peace said in a report.

The U.S. is almost 100 reliant on foreign entities of concern, mainly China, for key critical minerals, it said, and must come up with own sources of supply to avoid being shorthanded and vulnerable to China39;s export curbs.

Western mining companies are lagging Chinese rivals in the race to tap Africa39;s abundant mineral resources, key to sectors from electric vehicle manufacturing to defence industries.

To counter China39;s head start in Africa, Washington must roll out more vigorous commercial diplomacy with a keen eye toward building critical minerals partnership in Africa, the 76page report said.

One option for the U.S. would be to increase commercial diplomacy in countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, the world39;s No. 1 cobalt supplier, and Zambia, Africa39;s secondlargest copper producer, it said.

The competition for securing minerals in Africa is…