Yeah, but Australia/Europe/USA don't mind selling things (resources) to corrupt China either, or buy their produce. What is your point. I always find these debates fascinating because posters somehow think selling resources to a corrupt regime with a poor human rights record is ok, but mining resources in Africa is not LOL. Point in case - look at all the whining of the Australian government when China has imposed tariffs on Australian goods.
Some might also want to know where does nickel/cobalt/copper/graphite/manganese come from as well which without them well the EV revolution for hard rock deposits would be severely adversely impacted. The reason for the move to hydroxide in lithium ion batteries is because of these other mineral components in the cathode of the battery and where do they come from - they don't come from Australia/USA/Canada by and large.
China has a very very poor human rights record, and also in part doesn't honour contracts per se (which gives added risk to anyone exporting into China hence why having diversified markets is a key). Just look at the last few weeks here. We also have Tesla balbbering on about a, b and c but yet builds a factory in China
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@cashhound you might also want to have a look at China's total CO2 emissions and how they produce over there to - i'll let you research the quantum of CO2 produced (not per capita) because quantum produced is the key. I'll leave it at that, but appears to me a case out of mind out of sight. I just accept that is the way it is with China, and hopefully companies start moving production facilities in downstream commodities to Europe/USA(EV building etc), but profit is always the motive. Australia can play its part too -see below.
@Process1, same to you, hope you and family have a great Xmas. With the gas Australia has, I would be hoping in time that more manufacturing is done here. Happy that a number of Australian lithium producers, including LTR, are looking at downstream options in producing hydroxide, and hopefully at some point Australia might delve back into deeper manufacturing (steel/aluminium/cars etc). With the cheap gas Australia has, I always find it bizarre that China pays less for Australian gas at times (despite it been frozen into LNG for export at 1/600th of its volume) than Australian's pay overeast for gas that just goes down a pipeline. Whilst we can't compete with China in labour intensive industries, i.e. textiles, a lot of downstream processing in resources is not labour intensive, but capital intensive with one of the largest costs in production been energy (energy in hydroxide production for example). Hopefully, Australian governments start to seriously reconsider their views around 'laisser faire' economics and reevaluate the importance of having a viable manufacturing sector in Australia, where we can compete, so as to strive for greater self sufficiency, but that is a debate for HC's Politics Thread.
Australia has always had the resources - it just needs to do more with them, and in WA by the looks of McGowan seems to have a bit of an idea on how to extract even greater benefit from its resources.
https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov....askforce-members-named-to-drive-industry.aspx
Also good to see a lot of you do well with LTR over the last year or so too. I do see LTR been mined and do see it as a great resource as well. Have always said that here, and for those who have made good gains all the best.
For the record I do hold plays with resources in Australia as well.
All IMO
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