This is supported by China’s impressive research sector, which dedicates significant attention to critical minerals. Resources alone are not enough: producers in democratic countries need access to the technologies and know-how required to extract, process and recycle critical minerals. The coordination front acknowledges that no single country can secure its own critical-minerals supply, which means that countries must work together. On the coordination front, free trade agreements and partnerships centred around critical minerals can help bridge the gap between trusted supply and trusted demand. China has spent decades building its dominance in critical minerals.