By Laurence F. Sanford

China, ruled by the fascist Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is exerting its mineral muscle and domination of critical minerals used by the United States for defense, clean energy, and crucial technologies. The CCP recently restricted the export of gallium and germanium, key components in semiconductors, missile systems, and solar panels, in retaliation for U.S. restrictions on CCP access to equipment used to make advanced computer chips. China produces 60% of the world’s supply of germanium and 80% of the world’s supply of gallium.

Other critical minerals dominated by China are lithium, nickel, cobalt, and aluminum, which are key components in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

• Lithium — China dominates processed lithium with over 70% of the world market. Raw lithium ore, mined in Australia, Africa, and South America, is processed in China in an environmentally damaging refining process. The Lithium Triangle of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia hold an estimated 60% of the global lithium reserves, with China owning major ownership or contractual stakes.

• Nickel — Sourced from Indonesia through a new Chinese extraction process called HPAL (High-Pressure Acid Leach), the major mines are under contract or are owned by China. The HPAL process consumes huge quantities of water and pollutes the environment. The name “acid leach” tells it all.

• Cobalt — More than 70% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Russia is the second-largest producer. The U.S. has one recently opened mine in Idaho, but the ore will be processed in Brazil. Most of the DRC cobalt is shipped under contract to China. Artisanal mining of cobalt utilizes child labor and exploits workers. The environment is polluted, and the work occurs in brutal open-pit conditions. This mining accounts for over 15% of the total production.

• Aluminum — China accounts for 60% of the world’s production. Electric power is essential in the manufacture of aluminum. China is building coal-powered electric plants at the rate of one per week to support the industry. Climate change caused by carbon dioxide emissions does not appear to be a factor with CCP policies.

The U.S. elite’s societal suicide stampede toward clean energy is endangering national security. The progressive elite promulgate the narrative that carbon dioxide causes climate change; therefore, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels must be eliminated. Earth’s climate has been changing for four billion years. One can argue that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is good for human habitation. A warmer earth means plants grow better and fewer humans die of cold. More humans die from cold than from heat.

America’s economy, national defense, and civilization depend upon energy produced with fossil and nuclear fuels. So-called clean energy from the wind (that sometimes doesn’t blow and kills birds and whales), from solar (that doesn’t produce when the sun goes down), and battery backups (that don’t functionally exist) will not provide the energy for modern American civilization. Future growth in clean energy will come from nuclear — safe, economical, and dependable.

China is building hundreds of coal-powered carbon dioxide-emitting plants to strengthen its economy and its military. Meanwhile, the U.S. is shutting down coal plants and weakening its economy, its military, and its civilization. Why is America playing to China’s strengths and not America’s strengths? Not one nation on earth has been successful with clean energy.

Meanwhile, nickel mine development in Minnesota faces governmental, environmental, and tribal opposition. Other critical mineral and fossil fuel developments in the U.S. face similar opposition.

The misnamed Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress could exceed $1 TRILLION in subsidies as green energy corporations jump on the government gravy train. Meanwhile, existing fossil fuel industries upon which America’s military, industry, and society depend will weaken from competition with taxpayer-funded, inefficient green energy corporations.

Ford Motor Company, in April 2023, announced plans to invest $3.5 billion in an EV battery plant in Michigan to be built in partnership with and dependent upon Chinese-owned CATL technology. This is in addition to Ford previously committing $11.4 billion in partnership with SK Innovations of South Korea for a giant facility in Kentucky. Meanwhile, Ford is laying off thousands of employees to help fund the transition from fossil fuel cars to EVs.

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For want of a rider, the message was lost.
For want of a message, the battle was lost.
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Supply chains are essential for modern society to exist. One missing nail in the chain can lead to a kingdom lost. To be dependent upon the CCP for essential materials and technologies, the United States is committing societal suicide. World domination is the goal of the CCP through unrestricted warfare. This includes espionage, intellectual property theft, and the poisoning of America through biological warfare, fentanyl drugs, and media outlets such as TikTok.

The CCP’s recent export restrictions of gallium and germanium are warning shots across America’s bow. More shots are coming. America needs to decouple from China.

Laurence F. Sanford is a senior analyst at the American Security Council Foundation.