Since 1996, Gécamines has begun forming joint ventures with mining companies from the United States, Australia, Canada, Belgium, and other countries to co-develop its mining areas. Companies such as the American firm Dodge, Australia's Anvil and Chemaf, and Canada's First Quantum established joint ventures with Gécamines, leading to the development of copper mines like Mutanda, Kamoto, Frontier, Tenke Fungurume, and Dikulushi. However, due to Western concerns over political instability and the wartime destruction of infrastructure—including roads and railways—investment remained cautious. As a result, the mining industry in the DRC grew only gradually, with copper output rising from 70,000 tonnes in 2005 to 420,000 tonnes in 2010. Below, we summarize Western investments in the DRC mining sector prior to 2010. Please note that after two decades of changes, ownership of most copper mines has shifted, and the information in the table does not reflect the current situation.

After 2008, Chinese companies began large-scale investments in the DRC mining sector. In 2006, the DRC government initiated dialogues with the Chinese government regarding infrastructure financing. By 2007, the Chinese government and the administration of Joseph Kabila reached a "mineral resources-for-infrastructure" agreement. Following the financial crisis and the decline in commodity prices after 2013, international mining giants faced operational difficulties and were compelled to divest assets to maintain liquidity. At the same time, growing demand for refined copper in China after 2002 drove the need for secure copper supplies. Propelled by these factors, Chinese enterprises entered Africa to secure high-quality mineral resources, achieving significant successes over the past decade. Key players include China Railway Resources, CMOC (China Molybdenum), Zijin Mining, China Minmetals, CNMC (China Nonferrous Metals Mining Group), Jinchuan Group, and Shengtun Mining.