US - China Tensions, page-62

Interesting timing with the QR out tomorrow...
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Though Australia may have dragged its feet on climate change, the prospect of making a killing in the electric vehicle supply chain is getting attention.
The only other refinery outside of mainland China is found in Malaysia and is operated by the Australian company Lynas Resources, The Guardian reported.
According to the US Geological Survey, Australia contributed 17,000 tons of rare earths to the global supply last year — that number could see a drastic increase, as the Australian government positions itself to meet the new demand.
In March, a teleconference between the US, Japan, Australia and India held as part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – a strategic partnership originally formed to counterbalance the influence of China in the Asia-Pacific – focused on the urgent need to find alternative sources of rare earths and build more refining capacity.
A Critical Minerals Strategy had already been released in 2019, but rare earths received special mention under prime minister Scott Morrison’s $1.5bn National Manufacturing Priority roadmap in September last year, The Guardian reported.
Under the plan, rare earth projects could access dual financial support from Export Finance Australia and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund.
Elsewhere, Australian companies have been jostling for new business.
While the Malaysian government has moved to close Lynas Resource’s refining plant after sustained pressure over the environmental impacts from pollution, the company has proposed shifting production to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
It has also inked a deal to build a new refinery in Texas funded by the Pentagon.....’