At a symposium on economic security at Oxford’s Nissan Institute on March 5, covering topics from international cooperation and competition in exports, the private sector, and technology, one phrase echoed across nearly every panel discussion: critical minerals.
Minerals like cobalt, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements, once little more than obscure entries in geology textbooks, are now centr...
The narrative presents a compelling case for the geopolitical significance of critical minerals, with the U.S. and Vietnam embodying contrasting strategies. The U.S. approach, centered on coalition-building, is framed as a necessary response to China’s dominance in rare earth supply chains, while Vietnam’s independent path is portrayed as a pragmatic bid for strategic autonomy. The article’s strength lies in its clear delineation of these strategies, providing concrete examples like the Critical...