About this episode

Nicholas Niarchos discusses China's dominance in the critical minerals supply chain and the implications for global competition.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Eric, Géraud

Guest: Nicholas Niarchos

Topics covered

• critical minerals
• China's mining strategy
• battery metals competition
• artisanal mining
• political ecosystem
• extractive exploitation

Keywords

• cobalt
• lithium
• mining deals
• supply chains
• resource order
• child labor
• Sicomines
• extractive industries

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The China-Global South Project

Books & works: The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth

Places: Congo, U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Western Sahara, Congo's mining frontier

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