Competition to secure critical mined resources, such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper and 17 different rare earths,among others, has heated up. In the case of rare earths, the U.S. and the countries aligned with it have been far behind China in their mining and processing. Further, competition between the U.S. and China reached a fever pitch last year, with the U.S., for example, using sanctions, bans and trade restrictions on China’s access to critical technologies, and Beijing exploiting alliances to enhance access and control of resources, such as food, energy, water and infrastructure. This global scramble to secure critical elements and minerals has ramped up in recent months, especially in the areas of energy, green transportation and semiconductor technology.