Abstract:
Strategic critical minerals, as key raw materials underpinning the low-carbon transition of energy systems, the development of artificial intelligence, the upgrading of advanced manufacturing, and the aerospace and defense industries, have become increasingly important, while competition over them continues to intensify and related conflicts are becoming more pronounced. This paper elucidates the driving forces behind the imbalance and mismatch among global strategic critical mineral resources, industrial systems, and consumption patterns; discusses the problems and impacts associated with the generalization of geopolitical risks and the narrative logic of resource security; and approaches and implementation pathways for building a fair, open, inclusive, shared, stable, orderly, and sustainable global governance system for critical minerals.