Rather than advance new cooperation to lower critical mineral dependencies on China, Europe may very well be in a global race against America to lockup these essential resources - including on European territory. www.thewirechina.com/2026/01/25/t...
Tungsten is vital for armor-piercing bullets and shells as well as production machinery necessary to manufacture a vast array of ammunition and military hardware. But China accounts for nearly 1/3 of European imports of refined tungsten — and more than 1/4 of America’s.
Extending well beyond rare earths, China dominates supply chains for the critical minerals that NATO sees as integral to its technological edge & operational readiness.
European democracies, threatened by Putin’s war on Ukraine and Trump’s designs on Greenland, are ramping up defense spending. But China’s strong grip on critical minerals can bring Europe’s rearmament to a grinding halt. My latest for @thewirechina.bsky.social www.thewirechina.com/2026/01/25/t...
Germany’s failed offshore wind auction highlights the cost and risk pressures on developers. Minister now calling for change in auction system. In my briefing with @lukepatey.bsky.social, we looked at the issue of negative bidding & its impact on competitive landscape.
🔗 ecfr.eu/publication/...
Last gasp: In their latest publication, @byfordt.bsky.social and @lukepatey.bsky.social lay out a path forward for Europe’s wind industry to reduce its dependence on China.
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Europe’s pioneering wind turbine manufacturers are grappling with Chinese competition at home and abroad – but it is not too late to them. New @ecfr.eu policy brief with @byfordt.bsky.social ecfr.eu/publication/...
Rare earth magnets are at the center of the US-China trade war - with Beijing leveraging its control of world production to bring the US car industry to its knees. One Japanese scientist may have the answer to reduce China’s advantage. @thewirechina.bsky.social www.thewirechina.com/2025/06/29/m...
NEW @euiss.bsky.social REPORT🚨:
Current EU policies to de-risk raw material supply chains are moving far too slowly
Nine additional EU and partner policies can fully de-risk gallium, germanium, and rare earth value chains by 2030!
Our workshop outcomes...
www.iss.europa.eu/sites/defaul...
Trade balances beware, corporate claims of 'in China, for China' are looking increasingly dubious. www.reuters.com/business/aut...
The Trump-effect: the US-President's tariffs and threats of annexation are reversing the downfall of Canada's ruling center-left Liberal party. The upcoming national election will no longer be a blow-out for the Conservatives. www.axios.com/2025/03/05/t...
Trump may want Greenland's valuable resources, but China dominates the processing of critical minerals essential for EVs, wind turbines, and other green and digital technologies. My comments to @politiken.dk politiken.dk/internationa...
The European Union's Anti-Coercion Instrument was originally conceived to deal with these types of threats during the first Trump presidency. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Some things look so unlikely as to be impossible—until they happen. Groundwork for was laid earlier this year, but, still, more evidence of profound structural change under way in global auto industry in face of Chinese EV challenge etc.
With cratering market share in China, and EU tariffs eating into its Chinese production base, the question facing Volkswagen is increasingly existential: Can the German automaker survive in China and still thrive at home? @lukepatey.bsky.social reports. https://buff.ly/3BI0nLo
Even facing juiced-up, tech-savvy domestic rivals, VW thinks close proximity to innovation in China is a must to compete globally. But geopoltiics pushes it to leverage US EV tech too. With trouble at home, VW has a long fight ahead of it thewirechina.com/2024/12/15/l...
@thewirechina.bsky.social
But VW is also making shrewd, billion dollar moves for new software & electrical architecture in the US. Its partner is EV tech-leader Rivian. With little Chinese competition in the US to speak of, the move might just work, & boost the attractiveness of its EVs overseas too.
In flurry of multi-billion investments in recent years (unlike most other foreign automakers) VW intends on challenging its domestic competitors by "becoming Chinese". Its core partnership is with Xpeng to develop new EV software & electrical architecture for the Chinese market.
Last year, after four decades as market leader, VW lost its number one status in China. Once holding 50% of the market, VW's share has declined to 10%. 🇨🇳's BYD is now at the top. This year VW reported its 1st quarterly loss in equity income in China in over a decade & a half.
China looms over talks between Volkswagen & its trade union. VW is hyper-dependent on the Chinese market, where it once made 50% of its global profits. Today sales are plummeting there & VW wants to downsize in Germany. But it is also gearing up for a global battle against its Chinese rivals 🧵
It was a pleasure to join @kaiserkuo.bsky.social on his podcast to talk about my research! I’ve been a long time lister and really enjoyed the conversation!
Most foreign automakers are cutting & running from China, but not Volkswagen. My latest for @thewirechina.bsky.social explores how VW is fighting battles on multiple fronts to survive in China & thrive in a global automative industry under transformation. thewirechina.com/2024/12/15/l...
@diis.dk
