On November 29 at the Center for Geopolitical and Security Studies, GSSC (formerly the Eastern European Studies Center), we continued the roundtable discussion format “Coffee and International Politics.” This time, we discussed the topic “Rare Earth Elements: China’s Dominance and the Western Response” together with the center’s associate expert, Raigirdas Boruta, examining the reasons for China’s dominance in this field and the Western reactions.
The discussion highlighted that China controls 90% of rare earth element processing and the majority of extraction processes. As a result, the West, dependent on these resources, faces strategic challenges. The EU and the US are modernizing processing plants and seeking alternatives in Northern Europe and Southeast Asia, but environmental requirements and technological lag complicate the process. R. Boruta emphasized that the shift away from dependence on China will be lengthy, and Beijing will continue to leverage rare earth elements as a geopolitical tool. Participants agreed that rare earth elements will remain a critical issue, determining the future of Western technology and green industries, making long-term strategies and investments essential.