The Global Race for Critical Minerals — Vlado Vivoda

This episode of The IR thinker explores how critical minerals are reshaping global power relations, in conversation with Dr Vlado Vivoda. The discussion examines the role of lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements and other critical minerals in the energy transition, national security and supply chain resilience, with particular attention to the strategic rivalry between the United States and China. It considers the potential “weaponisation” of mineral dependencies, the balance between competition and cooperation among states, the aims of initiatives such as the Minerals Security Partnership, and the risks of conflict, neocolonial extraction practices and disinformation campaigns, especially in the global South.Vlado VivodaDr Vlado Vivoda is a scholar based at the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, Australia. His research focuses on the geopolitics of critical minerals, sustainable energy policy and the strategic implications of global energy transitions for states and industries. He is Editor in Chief of Resources Policy, a leading journal on the economics and policy of energy and mineral extraction, production and use, and has published widely on how shifting resource dependencies are transforming contemporary international relations.Some links mentioned in the video:What is a critical mineral?Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025EU Partnerships on Raw MaterialsThe Jadar Project (Serbia)Publications:Uncharted depths: Navigating the energy security potential of deep-sea miningA critical minerals perspective on the emergence of geopolitical trade blocsFriend-shoring and critical minerals: Exploring the role of the Minerals Security PartnershipContent00:00 – Introduction02:36 – Strategic Rivalries: Critical Minerals and the US-China Competition12:19 – National Security Implications of Critical Minerals16:56 – The Weaponisation of Critical Minerals24:13 – Competition or Cooperation? State Dynamics in the Critical Minerals Race28:36 – The Minerals Security Partnership: Objectives and Impact33:16 – Can the Quest for Critical Minerals Spark Conflict?38:38 – Neocolonialism in Mineral Extraction Practices42:57 – Chinese vs Western Mining Strategies: A Comparative Perspective45:55 – Non-State Actors and NGOs in the Critical Minerals Sector51:39 – The Disinformation Campaign Against Rio Tinto in Serbia57:23 – Three Underexplored Areas in Critical Minerals ResearchFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.