Pakistani Prime Minister visited Beijing in a bid to upgrade cooperation under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the report, the total value of the country's mineral and metal production has quadrupled since 2000. 

At the end of May, Codelco wrapped up negotiations with two other unions at the mine.

The trades are part of a broader deluge of investment into the copper market, with the value of long positions held by fund managers in London and New York futures tripling this year.

The Macpass project is hailed as one of the world's largest undeveloped zinc resources.

The Bill Gates-backed company aims to produce more than 300,000 metric tons per year at Mingomba.

The Copper World mine is expected to produce about 92,000 tonnes of the metal a year for the first decade of its anticipated 20-year life.