On August 29, 2025, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, issued a press release urging the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift a temporary stay blocking the land exchange needed for the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. Burgum called the project “vital to America’s long-term security, energy infrastructure and global competitiveness,” warning that delays increase U.S. reliance on “foreign-controlled copper supply chains, particularly as one nation now controls over 50% of global copper processing.” He emphasized the mine’s potential to supply 25% of U.S. copper demand for 50 years and create 3,700 jobs.
There is a critical flaw in Burgum’s narrative: the Resolution Copper project has significant indirect ties to China through the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), a state-owned enterprise under direct Chinese government supervision. Chinalco’s substantial stake in Rio Tinto, the project’s majority owner, combined with the absence of mandates to keep copper in the U.S., risks diverting billions in resources to China—the very nation dominating global copper supply chains. Moreover, Chinalco’s operations are linked to forced labor risks in China’s Xinjiang region, now a high-priority sector under U.S. enforcement laws.
Compounding these concerns, another Arizona mining project—Gold Paradise Peak Inc.’s (GPP) Senator Mine in the Bradshaw Mountains—further illustrates the risks of Chinese influence in U.S. mineral resources. Led by Chinese nationals with a history of exporting to China, GPP’s operations have sparked local backlash and regulatory action, mirroring Resolution’s national security issues. Drawing on Chinalco’s own statements, GPP corporate records, court documents, and recent U.S. government updates, it must be pointed out the DOI’s push for these projects as security assets contradicts national interests by potentially strengthening an adversary’s strategic position.
The Resolution Copper Project: A Strategic Asset
The Resolution Copper mine targets one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits, located in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. The deposit holds an estimated 1.7 billion metric tons of ore at 1.5% copper grade, capable of producing up to 40 billion pounds of copper over 40-50 years—potentially worth over $160 billion at current prices. The project, operated by Resolution Copper Mining LLC, a joint venture, has seen over $2 billion invested in exploration and permitting.
The venture is owned 55% by Rio Tinto, a UK-Australia-based mining company, and 45% by BHP, an Australia-based firm. The 2014 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act mandates swapping 2,344 acres of federal land for 5,344 acres of private land held by the developers, enabling mining to proceed. However, the law does not require the copper to be processed or sold domestically, allowing raw concentrate to be exported for refining abroad.
As of September 1, 2025, the project is stalled by a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals emergency restraining order issued on August 18, 2025, in response to consolidated lawsuits. Briefs from plaintiffs are due September 9, with responses from the government and Resolution Copper by September 29, potentially delaying progress into 2026.
Chinalco’s Influence: A Direct Chinese Connection
The Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) is central to concerns about foreign influence in Resolution Copper. Established in 2001, Chinalco is a state-owned enterprise directly supervised by China’s central government, tasked with being the “spearhead in global nonferrous metals industry” and the “main force in supplying national strategic mineral resources.” Its website states it operates across 20+ countries, focusing on metals like aluminum and copper, and is “the single largest shareholder of Rio Tinto.” As of February 2025, Chinalco holds just under 15% of Rio Tinto’s shares, giving it significant influence over the company’s decisions, including those affecting Resolution Copper, where Rio Tinto’s 55% stake translates to roughly 8% effective Chinese control.
Chinalco’s mission, as outlined on its website, includes securing “strategic mineral resources” through global projects like the Toromocho copper mine in Peru and the Boffa bauxite mine in Guinea, which have “significantly increased China’s capability” in this arena. The Resolution Copper project in the Tonto National Forest fits this strategy, positioning Chinalco to benefit from its massive output. Rio Tinto derives about 60% of its revenue from exports to China, and BHP sources 62%, creating strong incentives to direct copper eastward. With China controlling over 50% of global copper refining and projected to overtake top producers like BHP by late 2025, Resolution’s output could bolster Beijing’s dominance rather than U.S. security.
Forced Labor Risks in Chinalco’s Operations
Chinalco’s operations raise additional concerns due to ties to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). On August 19, 2025, the U.S. Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force updated its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Strategy, designating copper as a high-priority sector for enforcement due to state-imposed forced labor in XUAR. Chinalco, a leader in China’s copper industry through subsidiaries like Yunnan Copper Co. Ltd., sources materials from XUAR facilities implicated in these programs.
U.S. Department of State reports confirm that XUAR’s “poverty alleviation” initiatives coerce Uyghurs and other minorities into labor transfers for mining and processing, including copper. A May 29, 2025, investigation revealed China circumvents UFLPA bans by relocating Uyghur workers to factories outside XUAR, tainting supply chains for global industries. Chinalco’s copper and aluminum production (3.86 million tons of aluminum in 2021) relies on XUAR inputs, which supply 20-30% of China’s aluminum, often used in copper alloys. If Resolution’s copper is exported to China for refining, it risks integration into these problematic supply chains, conflicting with U.S. efforts to enforce ethical sourcing.
Gold Paradise Peak Inc.: Another Chinese-Linked Mining Venture
Adding to the concerns about foreign influence in Arizona’s mineral sector, Gold Paradise Peak Inc. (GPP) operates a controversial gold mining project at the historic Senator Mine in the Bradshaw Mountains, near Poland Junction and Senator Highway, approximately 11 miles south of Prescott. Incorporated in Nevada in 2017 with an Arizona subsidiary formed in 2018, GPP acquired 411 acres of private land (with mineral rights) along the Senator vein system between 2016 and 2023. The company, led by Chinese national Songqiang Chen, aimed to reactivate the historic mine, which produced gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper from the 1880s to the 1930s.
GPP’s operations have been limited to early exploration (e.g., road grading, drilling pads) rather than full-scale production, but plans for a potential 800-acre open-pit mine to extract 200 tons of ore daily for export to China sparked significant local opposition. Residents along Senator Highway report disruptions from heavy truck traffic, noise, and dust since 2023, prompting a Yavapai County community meeting on April 18, 2024, at Yavapai College. A Change.org petition with over 37,000 signatures as of 2023 labeled GPP a “Chinese Government affiliate,” citing plans to truck ore to Los Angeles for shipment to China.
Chen, GPP’s CEO, controls a network of 16 businesses across five U.S. states, including Sino Vantage Group Inc. (SVG), a California-based sister company sharing GPP’s export-to-China focus. SVG’s website describes it as supplying China’s steel industry, with a “strong network” for Chinese consumers. Both companies received U.S. government support, including $414,435 in forgiven PPP loans for GPP in 2021 and a $2 million SBA loan in 2022, despite a history of regulatory violations. ADEQ sued GPP and SVG in 2019 for unpermitted mining and water quality violations, leading to a 2021 Consent Judgment and a 2024 work-stop order after non-compliance. In June 2024, GPP listed the Senator Mine site for sale ($5.5–$9.75 million), and operations remain suspended as ADEQ conducts emergency remediation.
While not directly state-owned, GPP’s Chinese leadership, export-oriented model, and affiliations with firms like SVG (explicitly tied to China’s resource demands) raise parallel concerns to Resolution Copper. Arizona’s 2025 House Bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Selina Bliss, sought to restrict Chinese-linked land purchases citing GPP, though it was vetoed in June 2025.
The DOI’s Hypocrisy: Undermining National Interests
Burgum’s press release frames the Ninth Circuit’s stay on Resolution Copper as “judicial interference” that “weakens our strategic position” by prolonging dependence on foreign copper supply chains. This aligns with the DOI’s August 25, 2025, proposal to add copper to the U.S. critical minerals list to prioritize domestic production. However, these claims are undermined by both Resolution Copper and GPP’s structures.
By endorsing Resolution Copper without addressing Chinalco’s influence, the DOI ignores the risk of U.S. resources strengthening China’s grip on global copper markets. Chinalco’s stated goal of securing strategic minerals for China directly contradicts the DOI’s narrative of reducing foreign dependence. The lack of domestic processing requirements means Resolution’s 40 billion pounds of copper could be shipped to Chinese smelters, where forced labor risks persist, enhancing an adversary’s economic and strategic position. Similarly, GPP’s plans to export gold to China, led by a Chinese national with a network of export-focused firms, further illustrate the DOI’s oversight in promoting mining without safeguards against foreign control.
Conclusion: A Call for Reevaluation
The Resolution Copper and Senator Mine projects hold immense potential to bolster U.S. copper and gold supplies, but their ties to Chinese interests—via Chinalco’s stake in Rio Tinto and GPP’s Chinese leadership—pose clear risks to national interests. Chinalco’s own words confirm its mission to dominate global strategic minerals, with Resolution’s output fitting seamlessly into this agenda. GPP’s export-driven model, backed by Chinese nationals and targeting China’s markets, echoes these concerns, diverting U.S. resources abroad. The DOI’s advocacy for these projects as security assets ignores these contradictions, potentially funneling $160 billion in copper and significant gold reserves to China while entangling them with forced labor concerns.
The Ninth Circuit’s stay on Resolution Copper and the halted Senator Mine operations provide critical opportunities to impose safeguards, such as export controls or ownership restrictions, to ensure these projects serve American interests. Without these, the DOI’s position not only lacks credibility but actively undermines the national security it claims to protect. As legal proceedings unfold, policymakers must confront these realities to align Arizona’s mining with true energy and resource independence.
