The Geopolitics of Rare Earths

Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Helen Thompson – Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century – to dive into the high-stakes geopolitics of rare earth elements.

As China tightens its grip on the global supply of these critical minerals—vital for everything from electric vehicles to military tech—the West scrambles to catch up. Helen unpacks how China’s dominance, built through strategic foresight and control of refining, has left the US and Europe vulnerable. From trade wars to green energy ambitions, they explore whether the West can break free from China’s chokehold or if a rare earths crisis is looming.

Helen reveals why rare earths are the hidden battleground of global power, what’s at stake if the West loses, and whether the moon holds the keys to the future.

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