Kevin Rudd, the Australian Ambassador to the United States, recently expressed alarm about dependence on China for critical minerals. His remarks delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on August 20. Rudd’s claim underscored the importance of a stable, domestic supply of rare-earth elements. These materials are essential for creating cutting edge military technologies such as submarines and stealth fighters.
In making the announcement, Rudd highlighted the deepening collaboration between Australia and the U.S. Together, they are all gung-ho about decreasing their reliance on China for critical minerals. Here, he pointed out the increasing geopolitical tensions in the world. Allied nations must act now to shore up more resilient supply chains for these critical minerals. Such comments from Rudd signal the intent behind a larger strategy focused on increasing national security and reducing technological dependence.
The ambassador noted that advanced military hardware is becoming more and more reliant on rare-earth elements. These highly stagnated elements are critical enablers for everything from advanced electronic architectures to new propulsion systems. The impetus for this increased collaboration stems from both countries’ commitment to modernizing their respective defense capabilities. To Rudd, this means that securing a reliable U.S. supply of these materials will be paramount.
Rudd’s remarks come at a time when global supply chains are under extreme fire. Geopolitical shifts and ongoing US‐China trade and technology war are compounding reasons to conduct this examination. The ambassador is understandably optimistic about the potential role that Australia can play in supplying critical minerals. With its huge stockpiles of rare-earth elements, Australia is ready and able to assist the U.S. and other allies. He again emphasized that creating synergies through this space would serve both commercial and national interests while enhancing defense cooperation.
The conversation around critical minerals has recently taken on new layers of urgency as countries—particularly the United States and its allies—race to meet their strategic imperatives with greener alternatives. Rudd pointed to the shared focus between Australia and the U.S. to invest in new technologies that drive responsible mining. As such, they have a firm commitment to push rare-earth elements into sustainable processing streams. This commitment is an important step in alleviating environmental harms linked to mineral extraction, while securing the nation’s objectives of national security.