Recent smuggling convictions underscore China’s leverage over a mineral vital for defence and industry, prompting the US, EU and allies to seek independent supply chains.
The development underscores concern about supply chains for cobalt, nickel, lithium, and other minerals that are essential for solar panels, batteries and other clean technology.
The minerals that Pakistan purports to offer to the US are either in quantities too small to matter, of a type that the US does not need, or would be much more easily sourced from other partners.
In a discussion organised by the Observer Research Foundation, Chilean and Argentinian ambassadors highlight areas of interest to deepen ties amidst geoeconomic headwinds.
Islamabad’s latest attempts to woo Trump are through the offer of critical minerals and now a $1.2 billion port project roughly 100 km from the Chinese-built port of Gwadar.
Mineral security is no longer just an economic concern but a national security imperative, underpinning the country’s ambitions in clean energy, defence self-reliance, and advanced manufacturing.
China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.
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