The US-China rivalry runs through energy and minerals
About this episode
The episode explores the US-China rivalry through the lens of energy and minerals, featuring insights from Graham Allison on historical power struggles and current geopolitical tensions.
On today’s stage, China is the rising global power, and U.S. dominance is under threat. Geopolitical tensions like wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, combined with supply chain disruptions and a growing demand for rare earth minerals, continue to strain the relationship. But that relationship is key to the future of energy in the United States. In this episode, Alfred Johnson talks with Harvard professor and geopolitical strategist Graham Allison. Together, they unpack the growing rivalry between the United States and China through the lens of the “Thucydides Trap,” a concept Graham popularized in his book “Destined for War.” The "Thucydides Trap" is the idea that when a rising power threatens an established one, conflict often follows. Drawing on history and decades of foreign policy experience, Graham explains how today’s U.S.-China relationship resembles past global power struggles. He also explains how economic interdependence complicates the rivalry, and why energy, rare earth minerals, Taiwan, and global supply chains have become central geopolitical battlegrounds. Critical Capital is a co-production of Crux and Latitude Studios. Learn more about how Crux is financing the…
People in this episode
Host: Alfred Johnson
Guest: Graham Allison
Topics covered
- US-China rivalry
- energy
- rare earth minerals
- geopolitical tensions
- Thucydides Trap
- economic interdependence
- global supply chains
Keywords
- US-China relations
- geopolitics
- energy future
- rare earth minerals
- Thucydides Trap
- global power dynamics
- supply chain disruptions
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Harvard, Crux, Latitude Studios
Books & works: Destined for War
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