New trends of critical mineral governance in the United States and China’s response

Critical minerals are recognized as strategic resources essential to the advancement of emerging industry, the transformation of energy structure, and the governance of national security, positioning them at the center of global geopolitical competition. In recent years, the United States continues to strengthen its strategic deployment in critical mineral fields, promoting the construction of a global critical mineral supply chain system centered on itself through various means such as strengthening legislation, policy guidance, and deepening international cooperation, seeking a leading position in global resource governance, and showing a trend of excluding China. Currently, the implementation of critical mineral strategies in the United States is producing profound impacts in three dimensions. Firstly, the international rule system governing mineral resources is being restructured. The United States promotes the construction of a critical mineral rules system centered on its own interests by avoiding existing international rules and exporting unilateral governance standards to the outside world. Secondly, a structural shift in the global mineral supply chain is taking place. The United States strengthens the trend of “friend-shoring” and “near-shoring” through national and corporate collaboration, promoting the global mineral supply chain to shift from efficiency oriented to safety oriented. Thirdly, resource sovereignty contests among developing countries are intensifying. Influenced by the United States, major economies around the world are eager to expand cooperation with mineral rich developing countries, leading to an increase in the risk of resource nationalism and an increasingly fierce sovereignty game in mineral governance. Against this backdrop, enhancing China’s governance capacity in the field of critical minerals has become imperative. China should make concerted efforts from three aspects: promoting the upgrading of the legal system for critical minerals, building a modern sustainable development system for mining, and strengthening the discourse power of global governance of key minerals. Through institutional upgrading and international cooperation, it can provide more stable strategic support for the security of China’s critical minerals.