China Takes Control of Cobalt Mines (In Africa) As It Advances Its Battery Industry For Electric Veh

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

Epoch Times
Frank Fang, Epoch Times
August 13, 2018 Last Updated: August 14, 2018

[excerpt]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-takes-control-of-cobalt-mines-as-it-advances-its-battery-industry-for-electric-vehicles_2622794.html

A new source of energy can be found at the forefront of electric-vehicle development in the 21st century, and China is beginning to dominate in controlling the world’s supply of this so-called new petroleum: the mineral cobalt.

Cobalt is one of the key components of the lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles (EVs).

While Japanese electric carmakers are struggling to acquire the mineral and called for government assistance during a July 24 industry meeting in Tokyo, Chinese companies have been able to control one of the world’s key sources: mines in the central African nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is one of the world’s poorest countries.