While rare earth minerals do not dominate every day headlines, they dominate our everyday lives – as they are vital for high tech devices like smartphones and computers, but also for defence technologies like fighter jets. However, over the last few years China has emerged as the most dominant actor in the rare earth minerals industry – accounting for 60% of the market and almost 90% of processing of rare earth elements (REE).

In our latest report, we detail the dangers of China’s dominance in the REE market and build the argument that Five Eyes Alliances need to reduce their dependence on China for these critical minerals.

Join our panel of experts as we discuss this pressing issue.

Dr Helena Ivanov is an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. She recently completed a PhD in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on the relationship between propaganda and violence against civilians. In her thesis, Helena examined the role propaganda played during the Yugoslav Wars and produced a model for studying propaganda which details the key phases, functions, discourses, and techniques of propaganda (the model itself is applicable to other contexts). Additionally, Helena also served as a Manager at the Centre for International Studies at the LSE.

Prior to her PhD, Helena completed an MPhil in Political Theory at the University of Oxford, and holds a BA in Politics from the University of Belgrade.

Robert Clark is the Policy Director at Curia UK, a political policy institute based in Westminster. Robert is also a Senior Fellow at Civitas, and a Defence Fellow at the Yorktown Institute, in Washington DC. Robert’s areas of expertise include UK defence and foreign policy. Robert writes for The Telegraph and appears regularly on Sky News, whilst prior to this he served ten years in the British Army.

Dr Michael Turner is a pollster and strategist at Freshwater Strategy, a corporate advisory firm based in Australia and the UK. He has a reputation for producing best in class research insights, working mostly on complex regulatory, public policy, and communications challenges.

Michael has been a leading pollster on elections for over a decade, having been a senior advisor on several pivotal campaigns in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. He has a Masters in Social Research and completed his doctoral thesis at The Elections Centre at the University of Plymouth. His International Relations Bachelor’s degree dissertation was focused on European energy security. Examining the 2008 Ukraine-Russia gas crisis, the paper assessed the impact of energy disruption, and measures to improve energy security across Europe.

Michael is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, the Adam Smith Institute, and a Certified Member of the Market Research Society.

Dr Theo Zenou is a Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. He has a PhD in history from Cambridge University and has written for The Washington Post, The Economist and Sunday Times.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The conversation centred around China’s dominance in the rare earth elements market and its impact on global trade. Speakers discussed the geopolitical risks associated with China’s control and the need for sustainable access to these minerals. They emphasized the importance of diversifying supply chains and reducing dependence on any one nation, particularly China. The speakers also highlighted the need for public awareness and education on this issue, as well as the importance of expanding the Five Eyes alliance to address the changing global order and ensure security of critical technologies.

This event can only be watched ONLINE.