Nicaragua grants gold concession to firm linked to US-sanctioned Chinese miner

Nicaragua has awarded a 25-year gold concession, spanning 262 square kilometers of rainforest—roughly a quarter of Hong Kong's area—to Linze Excelente Mineria, a firm associated with a Chinese miner under US sanctions. Named Jade, this concession is situated in an area where gold was discovered in 1880. Corporate documents identify Lijun Dong as the legal representative for both Linze Excelente and Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Mineria Group, which the US Treasury blacklisted in April 2025. Shiliang Yang, who endorsed the Jade title, is also a lawyer for the sanctioned entity. The US Treasury accused Xinxin Linze of receiving extensive land from Nicaragua and exporting over US$25 million in gold to the US in early 2025, emphasizing the increasing economic ties between Nicaragua and China amid ongoing US sanctions.