Breaking China's grip on rare earths should be an AUKUS mission

Beijing has too much control over critical materials vital to advanced technology

Avatar
20211216 Molycorp Mountain Pass rare earth mine.jpg

The open pit mine of Molycorp's Mountain Pass rare earth facility in California, pictured in September 2009: the U.S. cannot make the same mistake again. © Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Liam Gibson is a Taipei-based geopolitical analyst and the founder of Policy People, a podcast and newsletter platform for think tank experts. He currently serves as the international public relations director at the Taiwan-based NGO, Asia-Pacific Youth Association.

With their unique properties, partly commercial commodity, mostly strategic asset, rare earth elements embody Chinese state capitalism like few other resources.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.