As countries make the switch to clean energy, governments are paying more attention to the resources they need for the transition. Some Western governments are concerned that the supply chains for many critical minerals have converged in one country: China.
China is a major consumer of such minerals, but stands apart in its role in processing raw materials, even those mined far beyond its borders. Thanks to years of planned industry consolidation, a small number of Chinese companies now have an outsized influence over the world’s supply.
This week, The Wire looks at China’s role in the production of the ‘neo-commodities’: the resources needed to produce the breadbasket goods of the future, and the key Chinese companies that stand to gain.
SOME DEFINITIONS
Data: USGS, Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, European Commission
Most of the major powers have their own definition of strategic minerals — also known as critical minerals — reflecting their dif
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