The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday edition that Ottawa's policy of preventing Chinese companies from investing in Canadian-owned critical minerals projects may be put to test after a Vancouver-based miner appointed a Chinese firm to help it sell either all or a portion of a copper project it owns in Ecuador. The Post's Naimul Karim writes that Solaris Resources, which boasts a market cap of around $800-million, appointed Beijing-based China International Capital to assist in "fielding and evaluating the merit" of proposals it has received from parties interested in its Warintza copper project in southeast Ecuador. "Warintza is a very special asset," Richard Warke, Solaris's executive chair touted in a statement on Oct. 3. It "has the potential to create tremendous long-term value." Analysts following Solaris said the appointment suggests the miner is open to potential investments from Chinese companies, but others say this kind of deal could trigger a review by the federal government under the Investment Canada Act (ICA). Canada considers 31 minerals, including lithium and copper, as critical due to the key roles they are expected to play in the gradual transition away from energy produced from fossil fuels.