Geopolitics of Energy and Metal Extraction in China and Europe

The Chinese leadership is becoming fearful of the competition for liquid natural gas imports and its impact on China's future. Decarbonizing electricity and transitioning to renewable energy sources changes the geopolitics of energy by eliminating the need for extraction and transportation. However, the extraction of metals for renewable energy technologies reintroduces a new form of geopolitical competition, with China currently holding dominance. European countries will also face challenges due to limited domestic metal resources and political resistance to mining. The geopolitics will likely revolve more around supply chains and processing rather than extraction itself. China's dominance in metal extraction has caused concern in the US, leading to efforts to establish a domestic mineral base for competing in the future energy landscape.