Australia has taken a side with the United States, claiming that it will intensify its efforts to reach a mineral agreement with the US, replacing China's position! On October 14, according to AFP, French media reported that Australia is accelerating its push to reach an agreement with the US on critical minerals and is preparing to open up its abundant mineral reserves to the US, trying to become a more reliable alternative supplier than China. Australian Prime Minister Albanese will visit Washington this month, striving to reach an agreement and provide the US with more critical mineral resources.
Evidently, whenever we take countermeasures against the US, Australia openly takes sides with the US, expressing its intention to strengthen cooperation with the US and reduce its reliance on our rare earths. From the perspective of Australia's resource reserves, Australia indeed has abundant resource reserves. Australia is among the top five global producers of lithium, cobalt, and manganese. In addition, Australia also has large reserves of rare earth elements, including neodymium and praseodymium.
However, although Australia is willing to help the US, it can only provide various rare earth minerals to the US. However, a key issue that Australia cannot solve is the process of refining rare earths. In fact, more than 90% of Australia's lithium ore is transported to Chinese large-scale refining plants for processing each year. Even if other rare earths are mined, Australia still needs our processing system. Obviously, it is not easy for the US to get rid of our dependence, and Australia cannot solve the US's dilemma either.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845947672358987/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.