Controlling the Mine? Assessing Chinas Emergence as a Minerals Super Power

The Chinese government has prioritized resource security and aims to increase its control over the minerals sector. China is a mining country, an investor in minerals abroad, and a key processor. Besides a few specific minerals, however, China has limited control and has not yet come to dominate the supply chains. A detailed examination of cobalt, manganese, and nickel, three minerals vital for various strategic industries, shows that Chinese mines deliver still only below 35 percent of Chinese demand. Much of Chinese processing capacity is tied to foreign industries in electric vehicles and so forth. While the ambition of resource security and control has been affirmed, it is not yet achieved.