US mining company KoBold Metals has signed a preliminary mineral exploration agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to strengthen the US's supply security of critical mineral resources, such as cobalt, copper, and lithium. The agreement, signed by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi in the capital city of Kinshasa, marks a strategic move by the US to weaken China's dominant position in the global critical mineral supply chain. Backed by investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, KoBold will leverage its AI-powered exploration technology to launch a lithium mine project in the town of Manono, Tanganyika Province in the southeast, and assist in digitizing the country's geological data. The company also plans to hire local employees and invest in infrastructure development. This collaboration is an extension of KoBold's previous acquisition of partial equity in the Manono lithium mine through a $1 billion framework agreement, but the final advancement of the project still requires resolving legal disputes and obtaining relevant permits.