The U.S., Japan, and other G7 countries are scrambling to secure critical minerals to end their reliance on Chinese-controlled supply chains. Every week, there's news of another mining deal for cobalt, lithium, and other resources essential to powering 21st century technology.
But the race to control critical resources may already be over. Decades before countries in the Global West recognized the importance of these minerals and metals, China quietly built out a vast network of mining and refining operations.
Nicholas Niarchos, author of the new bestselling book "The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth," joins Eric & Géraud to discuss the history of the battery metal competition and why China's early moves in this space may have given it an insurmountable lead.
📌 Topics Covered in this Episode:
- Why everyone sees the critical minerals supply chain differently and who's missing the full picture
- The making of "The Elements of Power" — one journalist's journey from Greece to Congo
- Artisanal mining, child labor, and the political ecosystem keeping it alive
- How China built its Congo mining empire over 30 years while the West looked away
- The Sicomines "Deal of the Century" and what it revealed about Chinese strategy
- Small Chinese traders, violence, and the uneasy coexistence on Congo's mining frontier
- Indonesia, Western Sahara and the global pattern of extractive exploitation
- Why the US critical minerals push may already be too little too late
Show Notes:
- Purchase a copy of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth: https://a.co/d/0g8xV4n8
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:
Join us on Patreon! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
