Central Asia's Key Minerals: The Geopolitical Stage in the Global Competition for Critical Minerals
The growing global demand for critical resources, accelerated green transition, and economic digitalization are transforming Central Asia from a peripheral region into one of the key arenas of geopolitical-economic competition. Kazakhstan and its neighboring countries are increasingly becoming focal points of interest for the United States, China, the European Union, and Gulf states—viewed as sources of raw materials, locations for infrastructure projects, and markets for digital solutions.
Resource Factor: From Raw Materials to Geoeconomic Assets
Central Asia is gradually emerging as a strategic treasure trove for global green transformation and high-tech industries. The region is endowed with abundant reserves of critical raw materials: Kazakhstan leads the world in uranium production, accounting for about 40% of the global market share. Moreover, Kazakhstan and surrounding areas hold rich deposits of copper, lithium, cobalt, uranium, and rare metals, positioning Central Asia as an increasingly vital player in clean energy and high-tech supply chains.
Investment activities in mining are driving the development of related high-tech industries in the region. Global companies are not only coming to extract raw materials but also actively seeking opportunities for local processing. For example, in November 2024, Kazakhstan’s first tungsten processing plant began operations at the Bogut mine in Almaty Region. The project, valued at $300 million, was implemented by Aral Kegen, a subsidiary of Jinchuan International Resources Investment Co., Ltd. (a Hong Kong-listed company under Jiangxi Copper – editor’s note).
In addition, in eastern Kazakhstan, two new industrial enterprises focused on lithium mining and processing, jointly developed by German mining company HMS Bergbau AG, are scheduled for completion before 2029. Currently, a mining processing plant and a pegmatite ore processing facility are under construction.
This enables countries in the region to move beyond the “quarry” model toward a technology hub model, transforming natural wealth into leverage for accessing innovations from both East and West.
Against the backdrop of intensifying global rivalry and rising demand for critical raw materials in the region—particularly lithium, uranium, and rare earths—coordination and cooperation have become essential for economic security. Joint management of water and energy resources, along with the establishment of cross-border industrial centers, helps prevent redundant production and internal competition.
Instead of building five identical factories, these nations would be better off constructing regional value chains, with each country specializing in its own processing segment. This approach would transform the region not only into a supplier of raw materials but also into a potential industrial and technological hub across Eurasia.
Source: Central Asia Times
Author: Timur Serikuly
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862124450310156/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.