The Chinese mining giant Chinalco is interested in West Suriname, where large bauxite reserves are located. The government does not back the deal, arguing it would not benefit Suriname. “The current proposal is focused on mining bauxite in West Suriname. There is high-quality bauxite that could be refined into aluminium. What we want as a country is for the bauxite to be processed in Suriname,” Rusland stated, adding that Suriname no longer intends to export crude bauxite so that aluminium can be produced locally and boost earnings. “We no longer want to allow raw materials to be exported. An integrated plan is required so that the product can be processed further in Suriname.” In practice, the plan appears ambitious, but the reality is that no investor has shown support for it. The Vice President noted that the government is open to reviewing proposals from investors.