Cheap Chinese devices have iron instead of copper in wires. Aluminium is not suitable, since you can't solder it, otherwise I'm sure they'd use that as well.

Don't be fooled if the strands are copper colored, that could be either varnish or a thin layer of electroplated copper. A magnet test will reveal the truth. If it can't be soldered, it's most probably Aluminum. I've seen that as well, but only on wires that use some sort of a clamp-on connector at both ends... basically, it was never meant to be soldered.