China’s Premier Li Qiang came to the Group of 20 summit not only poised to defend his country’s rare earths curbs, but also armed with offerings to quell the concerns of developing nations.
Critical minerals became a defining theme of Africa’s first G20 summit this weekend. Sessions were dedicated to the topic as European leaders grappled with supply chain issues and Global South countries appealed for help in benefiting from a burgeoning industry where Beijing dominates processing.
Li had responses to both problems. In a speech Sunday, he justified the need to "cautiously manage” exports of minerals critical for military use, laying out China’s rationale for its sweeping curbs. Hours later, China unveiled details of a global mining initiative with friendly nations, in an apparent reply to U.S. efforts to rally allies for an alternative rare earth supply chain.
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