Fight against climate change requires cooperation and large quantities of critical minerals.
De-risking instead of de-coupling, in other words, less risk, but no disengagement from China. Despite all differences, this formula applies to the U.S. relationship with the Asian superpower, at least as far as critical raw materials are concerned, said Jose W. Fernandez, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, in an interview with the News channel Bloomberg (paywall). China will remain a critical partner, he said, not only because the resources it produces and, more importantly, processes are needed, but also because the challenges of climate change cannot be met without the populous country.
Fernandez is head of the Minerals Security Partnership, launched last year to develop secure and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals. In addition to the United States, partner countries include Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, represented by the European Commission.
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