Toward Programme
The Radioactive Ore That Could Break China’s Grip on Rare Earths
Foreign Policy Major outlet·2026-10-15australia_economicP1: Resource SovereigntyP3: Industrial BaseP5: Strategic Decoupling
Why it matters
Rare-earth minerals are critical inputs for defence electronics, renewable-energy infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Australia's participation in Western-led rare-earth supply-chain diversification (e.g. Australasian processing partnerships) directly reduces strategic dependence on Chinese supply, strengthening Pillar 1 (Resource Sovereignty) and Pillar 5 (Decoupling) by enabling indigenous or allied-sourced supply of high-tech inputs. Monazite ore processing addresses a key vulnerability in the Indo-Pacific industrial base.
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