Critical Minerals Geopolitics
The global transition to a green economy is, in essence, a scramble for critical minerals (like nickel, tin, rare earths), and Southeast Asia is at the center of this new "Great Game." This research aims to analyze Southeast Asia's unique position and opportunities against this dynamic backdrop: on one hand, how it is leveraging "resource nationalism" to move up the value chain; on the other, how it is becoming a strategic option for countries like the US, China, Europe, Japan, and South Korea to diversify their supply chains and bypass Chinese controls.
- Mapping Southeast Asia's critical mineral resources, with a focus on assessing the reserves, current extraction status, and potential of Indonesia (nickel), Myanmar/Vietnam (rare earths), and Malaysia (bauxite).
- Deeply analyzing how Indonesia's "nickel downstreaming" strategy (banning raw ore exports, forcing local refining) is reshaping the global battery supply chain and China's response.
- Assessing the opportunities for global buyers (Japan, South Korea, Europe, US) to seek alternative sources in Southeast Asia amid China's tightening export controls on critical minerals (like graphite, rare earths).
- Tracking the upstream investments, technological dominance, and full-chain layouts of Chinese enterprises in Southeast Asia.
- Analyzing the policy balancing act and oscillations of Southeast Asian countries between attracting foreign investment (e.g., EV manufacturers) and protecting local resources (resource nationalism).
- Monitoring the increasingly prominent ESG risks intertwined with critical mineral development, especially the intersection of environmental pollution, community conflict, and geopolitical rivalry.