Feed the Dragon

How China Secures its Battery Minerals from the African Continent

By: Eric Lyon

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Feed the Dragon is a detailed study of China's battery mineral operations in Africa. The U.S. and China are chief rivals in the international system and part of this competition includes the race for increasingly limited critical minerals. Africa, once the preserve of Western colonial powers, is open for business and their raw materials are on the table for discussion. To date, China has engaged the African nations in a persistent and comprehensive manner to secure their mineral needs in order to feed their growing battery and electric vehicle industries. While there are serious challenges in Africa such as endemic corruption, decaying infrastructure and violent insurgencies, Beijing has deftly navigated these sometimes treacherous waters to strengthen their strategic economy. Feed the Dragon illuminates Beijing's relentless tactics and how the U.S. and China have fared in this struggle for the sometimes overlooked inputs that are the foundation for their respective strategic technology programs.