The United States has said nine countries have joined its initiative to help discover and develop reserves of minerals used in the production of electric vehicles, part of an effort to cut the world's reliance on China for the high-tech materials.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday met with foreign ministers from the nine countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The countries joining the United States include Australia, Botswana, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, the Philippines and Zambia.