31st Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Energy Security
In his remarks, Hon. Sohan Dasgupta highlights the growing national security and economic risks posed by heavy dependence on China for critical minerals. He explains that minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential for defense systems, artificial intelligence, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing.He emphasizes that China dominates much of the world’s refining and processing capacity and has shown a willingness to use this leverage strategically. This reliance, he argues, threatens supply chains, military readiness, and technological leadership.
To address the challenge, Hon. Sohan Dasgupta proposes a four-pillar strategy: diversifying global supply chains through trusted allies, strengthening domestic extraction and processing, coordinating closely with allied nations to counter strategic competitors, and ensuring accountability and efficiency in economic agreements.He concludes that securing critical mineral supply chains is vital to safeguarding economic resilience, national sovereignty, and long-term global leadership.
