The facts are, China imported 84% lithium in 2017. Most of the...

The facts are,
China imported 84% lithium in 2017.
Most of the Abundant brine deposits in China, are not extractable!!! Only produced about 24kt last year.

China: high dependence on imports for lithium (84% in 2017, was 74% in 2015): 66% are imported spodumene and 18% are imported high-concentration brine.

China's State Council "Made in China 2025" made it clear that:
China's power cell to specific energy
to reach 300Wh/kg by 2020;
to reach 400Wh/kg by 2025;
to reach 500Wh/kg by 2030.

Solid state lithium batteries power energy density can achieve 600Wh/kg or more. Toyota solid state (lithium) battery is expected to be mass production by 2020-2022. Samsung said to start produce solid state lithium batteries as early as 2019.

China set up a plan for new energy vehicles:
1. New energy vehicles sales to reach 7% of the annual sales (30m x 7% = 2.1 million vehicles) by 2020;

2. New energy vehicles sales to reach 15% of the annual sales (33m x 15%= 5 million vehicles) by 2025;

3. New energy vehicles sales to reach 40% of the annual sales (38m x 40% = 15 million vehicles) by 2030.

Total 1.7 million new energy vehicles in China as at 31 December 2017.
China plans to have 80 million new energy vehicles by 2030.