"China Hits Back After US Warning on Toxic Mine Spill in Zambia", Bloomberg, 18 August 2025

China’s ministry of foreign affairs lashed out at the “ignorant and ill-intentioned manipulation,” [...] an apparent reference to US envoy [...] who’d said the incident could rank among the world’s worst such disasters, [...].

Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Ltd. “actively shouldered responsibility, and pro-actively cooperated with the Zambian government,” to compensate the affected people, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The Zambian government also “spoke highly of the work done by the Chinese company” in an Aug. 7 press conference, it added.

The Zambian government and Sino-Metals have said 50,000 tons spilled. However, findings from the company hired to assess the environmental damage [...] said at least 1.5 million tons [...] escaped when the reservoir failed.