Why China's Critical Minerals Strategy Leaves The US Behind

BusinessEnergyWhy China's Critical Minerals Strategy Leaves The US BehindByWesley Alexander Hill,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Wesley Alexander Hill (何伟龙) is an Energy and Geoeconomics expertFollow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 08:00am EDTChina dominates global mining and refining of many Critical Minerals central to new technologies of the 21st century.gettyFor several years, Washington has spoken loftily about critical minerals. Senior officials have rightfully framed supply chains for tungsten, lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and copper as central to economic security, technological development, defense readiness, and green energy. The diplomatic activity has been substantial. Since 2023, the United States has signed multiple memorandums of understanding across Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America intended to secure alternative supply chains for these minerals outside China’s orbit.Yet many of these agreements have struggled to move beyond signaling. Announcements have outpaced implementation at a degree beyond expected drag from haggling or logistics. Frameworks have proliferated, while financing, capacity refinement, logistics infrastructure, and downstream industrial development have lagged. The gap between rhetoric and deployed capital is becoming increasingly visible to partner governments and markets. America’s Current Minerals Strategy So far, Washington has sustained momentum because American policymakers have broadly adopted a “minerals first” strategy. The logic behind this approach is understandable. China’s monopoly in critical mineral refining was built over decades through coordinated industrial policy, subsidized infrastructure, and vertically integrated processing systems. The United States cannot realistically recreate that dominance overnight even if the political will existed.Instead, America’s current strategy focuses on expanding global raw material supply. Increased raw ore productio...