Unrivalled advancements in technology have transformed rare earth elements (REEs) into a strategic tool not only to produce high-tech defence equipment but also aggrandise innovation-led economic growth in the countries of endowment. These developments have drastically altered the world energy landscape, didactically shifting focus from crude oil to rare earths.

China's comparative advantage in the REEs endowment has created restlessness in Global North not only to maintain its political control over Global South but also to address bottleneck engineering problems using green energy and advanced technology. The situation is further exacerbated by China's policy restrictions on the REEs export. A rudimentary problem with most of the countries from Global South, holding REEs endowment, is poor governance in terms of weak institutions, dictatorship, political instability and corruption.

Consequently, Global North finds it convenient to justify their invasions of the Global South countries rich in rare earths and hydrocarbons. The recent Venezuelan crisis, for instance, can be linked not only with the country's huge oil reserves but also South America's lithium triangle containing the world largest lithium reserves in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. The use of lithium batteries as a main source of portable energy storage, particularly in consumer electronics, aerospace and defence equipment, has strategically changed the world power dynamics on the political and economic fronts.

On the political front, Global South countries with prodigious REEs endowments, and not strategically aligned with Global North, face violent conflicts, political instability and denigrating wars as part of Global North's economic strategy.

The REEs rich Global........

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