NEW DELHI — Beijing's strategic leverage over global mineral resources and New Delhi's ongoing efforts to secure sovereign supply chains have emerged as central focal points in Asian geopolitical competition, according to an analysis published by orfonline.org.
The report examines how China employs rare-earth statecraft to create strategic vulnerabilities for competing economies, a dynamic described as chokepoint politics. As global industries increasingly rely on critical minerals for defense manufacturing, green energy technologies, and advanced electronics, access to these specialized materials has become directly tied to national security.
Beijing’s Critical Mineral Leverage
China has maintained an overwhelming position across the global rare-earth extraction and processing ecosystem for decades. According to the reporting by orfonline.org, this concentrated market dominance enables Beijing to implement statecraft measures that influence diplomatic and economic outcomes across the Indo-Pacific.
By controlling critical processing bottlenecks and export channels, China can exert targeted pressure on international partners and competitors alike. This structural advantage allows Beijing to translate industrial processing capacity into geopolitical power, creating significant risks for import-dependent nations seeking stable commercial and industrial supply lines.
India’s Push for Strategic Autonomy
In response to these supply chain vulnerabilities, India has accelerated measures to safeguard its strategic autonomy. The ORF analysis highlights New Delhi’s policy focus on identifying critical mineral dependencies and building counterweights against external economic coercion.
India's search for autonomy involves diversifying sourcing partners, boosting domestic exploration, and collaborating with international frameworks to build resilient manufacturing capabilities. Securing alternative pipelines for rare-earth elements remains a top priority for Indian defense planners and industrial policymakers aiming to reduce systemic exposure to foreign chokepoints.
