China, the world's second biggest economy, accounts for more than 50% of global demand for raw materials. Its economic activity has this year been dampened by targeted lockdowns in response to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Speaking at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York Henry, head of the world's largest listed mining company, said he expects to see an "increasing domestic drive towards economic growth in China".

(Reporting by Clara Denina, Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)