Chinese companies are the largest shareholders in two Australian mines producing minerals vital for Beijing’s hypersonic missiles and nuclear programs, helping it overcome “severe challenges” to accessing key resources.
In a rare admission of its vulnerability, China says it depends on imports for its supply of zirconium, a little-known critical mineral. Australia is the world’s largest producer and supplies China with 41 per cent of its imports.
Not only did Australian regulators allow Beijing-backed companies to become major shareholders in the two Western Australia mines, the federal government even gave one of them a $160 million soft loan to help it into production.
Australia is supplying these raw materials vital for China’s military build-up, while at the same time signing up to be a partner of choice for the United States as it seeks to break Beijing’s stranglehold over the processing of rare earths and critical minerals.
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Given China’s aggression in the region against its neighbours - including Australia, with military manoeuvres of Chinese warships completing live-fire drills in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone - and China’s recent rare earths export policy, this seems a bit strange. Even if we ignore for a moment that part of Australia profits are unnecessarily going to China, the strategic consequences for Australia could soon be severe.
Yeah? I’m still way more concerned with how the profits of these mining operations are distributed to Australians.
Given China’s aggression in the region against its neighbours - including Australia, with military manoeuvres of Chinese warships completing live-fire drills in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone - and China’s recent rare earths export policy, this seems a bit strange. Even if we ignore for a moment that part of Australia profits are unnecessarily going to China, the strategic consequences for Australia could soon be severe.
There’s no reason to be militarily afraid of China even with them having a more powerful military than us. Geopolitically a war between us wouldn’t benefit either and any such war would be entirely unwinnable for whoever initiates.
Escalations between our countries with regards to naval exercises are worrying, however the Australian government could, if they wanted to, diplomatically end any live fire exercise close to Australia by Chinese warships. All they would have to do is promise to stop sailing warships through the South China sea and the Taiwan strait under the pretext that China would stop its exercises near Australia too. The Australian government isn’t making that decision because it believes its interests in South East Asia are more important than live fire testing off the coast. Probably because they can leverage that fear amongst the gullible and cowardly to garner support for military spending and draw attention away from movements insisting on real change and building a more equal Australia.
If China started a war with us, we would be fucked. Not only is their military complex astronomically bigger than ours… They have complete control of the narrative internally. Ain’t no way we’re holding off a billion people
its not as easy as them just throwing 1b people at us lol
In a vacuum yes, but we do not live in one. The US doesn’t even let China invade Taiwan. That’s a place it has a claim to, tenuous as it may be. Australian defence has always relied on stable international relations and allied support. You’re delusional if you think cutting off China from Australian resource markets will make us the biggest fish in the pond.
Yeah I don’t think the US will be much of an issue for China tbh. I’m guessing you’re replying to the other person because I didn’t mention anything about cutting off resources to China. Xi is losing a bit of power locally, so wouldn’t be surprised if it gets bumpy in the next wee while
I’m replying to you and what you said
Why would they? And how would they hope to maintain supply lines across thousands of kilometres of open ocean and then hostile terrain??? Unlike France, the US or the UK, China is not a current or former colonial superpower with military bases all over the planet, so almost all their aircraft and ships would have to come all the way over from China for every trip. The fuel costs of a sustained invasion and subsequent occupation would be staggering. What would they want that could possibly be worth that kind of attrition hell that they couldn’t get for so much less trouble by just trading for it?
Yeah okay, if it happened, and if they were prepared to throw as many resources into the meat grinder as it’d take, China would probably ‘win,’ but that doesn’t mean that we’ve got any reason to believe this has any chance of actually happenning because it’s so pointlessly stupid.
Given that we live in Australia, it’s not strange at all that we’re concerned with how profits from these mines affect Australians.