Toward Decline
Niche critical minerals caught in China supply squeeze - Mining.com.au
Why it matters
Niche critical minerals are foundational to modern defence systems (semiconductors, rare earths, battery tech). If China's own economic stress is forcing it to squeeze supply of these minerals globally, Australia faces both reduced access to critical inputs AND confirmation that China's economic model is under strain. This accelerates Australia's urgency to decouple and build sovereign supply chains.
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