On August 15 this year, China announced its decision to restrict the export of antimony, a critical mineral used in strategic sectors such as defence, for military equipment such as missiles, infrared sensors, flares, ammunition, and even nuclear weapons. China’s Commerce Ministry justified this move on the basis of “national security”, adding that the measure would take effect from September 15. The declaration, however, was part of a series of countermoves that began in August 2023. Moves and countermoves When it comes to critical minerals, China is not only a stakeholder but also a leader. It dominates every supply chain segment — upstream, midstream, and downstream, covering mining, extraction, refining and processing. It enjoys a near-monopoly status, controlling 60% of rare earth production, 60% of critical minerals production and 80% of the processing worldwide. Therefore, any decision China makes has profound national security implications globally. The European Union and countries such as India, Japan and the United States are strategically vulnerable due to their dependence on critical minerals.
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Table of Contents
- China’s warning shots with minerals that run the world 1
- Originally Published The Hindu Published on Sep 30, 2024 1
- Moves and countermoves 1
- A hardening of foreign policy posture 2
- India’s vulnerability 2
- Author 3
- Abhishek Sharma 4
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