China Approves Chile Lithium Alliance, Clearing Major Hurdle

The logo of the National Copper Corporation (CODELCO) is pictured on a sign with information about the remodeling of the facade of its building in Santiago on May 20, 2025. Photo by RODRIGO ARANGUA / AFP

China has given the green light to a major partnership between Chile’s state-owned copper giant, Codelco, and lithium company SQM, unlocking plans to ramp up extraction in the Atacama salt flat — one of the world’s top lithium sites.

Chile holds about 40 percent of the world’s lithium reserves and is the second-largest producer of the metal, a key product for electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies.

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by Agence France-Presse

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