Europe’s Lithium Quest Hampered by China and Lack of Cash

File image of a worker holding a handful of 99.9% lithium inside the El Carmen Lithium processing plant of Chile's SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in Antofagasta, Chile. (Photo by Martin BERNETTI / AFP)

By Alvaro Villalobos

Europe’s ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South America.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Agence France-Presse

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms
6 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator

You Might Like

EU Unveils Critical Material Projects to Cut China Dependence

By Raziye Akkoc and Daniel Aronssohn The EU unveiled dozens of projects Tuesday to ramp up the extraction of critical raw materials in Europe as the bloc seeks to reduce its over-reliance on ...

The Long Journey to EurAfrica

Recently I’ve been trying to give my brain a break from marinading in China-Africa issues by reading the biologist Merlin Sheldrake’s mind-bending new book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our ...

Africa’s Asian Decade

In today’s China-Africa Daily Brief email newsletter we showcased an article by the analyst and former Liberian Public Works Minister, Gyude Moore, arguing that the pandemic-induced economic crisis ...

Latin America’s Diplomacy: Balancing EU and China With Mercosur

By Alvaro Mendez and Chris Alden The negotiations for the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have spanned over two decades and are now facing renewed delays. This prolonged process is a crucial moment in Latin ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP