The game between the United States and China has intensified in trade, science and technology, and geopolitics. The COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have further highlighted the supply chain security issues. Key minerals are crucial for strategic industries in the United States, but the country is highly dependent on supply chains controlled by China. The competition in emerging technology industries has intensified the international competition for key minerals, while China's "the Belt and Road" initiative has challenged the dominant position of the US, Europe and Japan in the industry, enhancing China's influence in the global mineral industry. The US government is strengthening domestic mineral development, cooperating with its allies in mineral processing, and trying to reconstruct the supply chain with developing countries, which are also co constructing countries along the "the Belt and Road". In the "the Belt and Road Initiative", China promotes high standard, sustainable and people friendly mineral cooperation, and promotes mutual benefit and win-win results with the joint construction of the country. The reconstruction of the supply chain in the United States may have an impact on mineral cooperation and high-quality development under the "the Belt and Road" initiative, which requires attention and discussion of coping strategies.

1、 The driving factors for the United States to reconstruct key mineral supply chains by utilizing developing mineral producing countries

Discussed how the United States can leverage the driving factors of developing mineral producing countries to reconstruct key mineral supply chains. With the "the Belt and Road" initiative entering the stage of high-quality development, Chinese enterprises are jointly building a national supply chain, which has promoted the effective docking of China's industrial technology, engineering capacity and financial capacity with the mineral and other production factors of the co building country. The Biden administration in the United States has increased its influence on mining cooperation policies, projects, and mineral flows in developing mineral producing countries through multilateral and bilateral channels, in order to support the development of domestic strategic industries, limit China's supply chain position, and weaken China's industrial capabilities. The US government utilizes the resource endowments of developing mineral rich countries to support the development of their strategic industries, such as electric vehicles and power battery industries, as well as the manufacturing and upgrading of military equipment. At the same time, the United States is attempting to weaken China's position in key mineral supply chains due to its high dependence on some of China's key mineral processing products. In addition, the United States is also attempting to contain China's industrial capabilities, as key minerals are fundamental resources for industrial development, and China's influence in the field of key minerals mainly comes from processing capacity and technological advantages. The United States is continuously upgrading its containment of China's technology industry through export controls, market blockades, and restrictions on high-tech investment, attempting to compress the scale of China's key mineral smelting and processing industry and limit the development of downstream manufacturing in China.

2、 The main model for reconstructing key mineral supply chains in developing mineral producing countries in the United States

In restructuring the global key mineral supply chain, the United States mainly cooperates with developing countries through three models: direct cooperation, alliance cooperation, and multilateral cooperation. In terms of direct cooperation, the United States has enhanced its influence in Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America through the release of strategic documents and the establishment of cooperation mechanisms, such as the Sub Saharan Africa Strategy, signing memorandums of understanding with Zambia and Congo, and promoting the "C5+1" initiative Key Mineral Dialogue, etc. In terms of alliance cooperation, the United States uses bilateral agreements between allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia and mineral producing countries to build a key mineral processing system in the Indo Pacific region that excludes China, such as promoting the India Australia Key Mineral Investment Partnership and rare earth projects of Japanese and Korean companies in Australia. In terms of multilateral cooperation, the United States promotes its industry standards and rules through leading international mechanisms such as the Mineral Security Partnership, influences mining cooperation policies of developing countries, and promotes the coordinated reconstruction of supply chains among developing mineral producing countries, such as promoting multiple key mineral investment projects at the Mineral Security Partnership Ministerial Meeting. In addition, the United States is also attempting to reshape regional key mineral logistics, such as cooperating with the European Union to accelerate the development of the Lobito Corridor to reduce costs. The logistics cost of mineral exports.

3、 The impact of the reconstruction of key mineral supply chains in developing mineral producing countries by the United States

The reconstruction of the key mineral supply chain in the United States has a negative impact on China's supply chain status and cooperation under the "the Belt and Road" initiative. The US policy has led to an increase in the cost of industrial cooperation between China and co building countries, an escalation of resource nationalism and geopolitical games, and an impact on the overseas investment rights of Chinese enterprises. The United States is attempting to increase supply chain costs for Chinese companies and increase supply security risks by controlling logistics channels. The US policy increases the uncertainty of the development of developing mineral countries, while the "the Belt and Road" initiative highlights its positive significance and promotes mutual benefit and common development. The United States is restructuring its supply chain to contain China, rather than promoting the development of mineral producing countries, which may lead to a prolonged project cooperation initiative and demonstration phase, affecting the development of key downstream mineral processing projects and infrastructure projects in mineral producing countries. The United States and its allies face high and lengthy costs in developing and producing key minerals in developing countries, which limits growth opportunities for some developing countries. The United States' prioritization of geopolitical interests over the development interests of regional partner countries has raised doubts among developing mineral producing countries about the reconstruction of key mineral supply chains by the United States.

4、 Implementation path of deepening high-quality development of key mineral cooperation along the "the Belt and Road"

In the face of the challenge of reconstructing the key mineral supply chain in the United States, how can China deepen cooperation with the "the Belt and Road" countries in key mineral fields to achieve high-quality development was discussed. Four implementation paths have been proposed: firstly, to enhance China's influence in the international key mineral market through technological upgrades and resource reserves, to strengthen the technological advantages of downstream processing links, to build industrial technological barriers, to utilize the national reserve system to collect and store key minerals during low price periods, and to enhance market influence and countermeasures. Secondly, based on the cooperation of key mineral industry parks, we will deepen cooperation with co built countries, support the development of deep processing industries in co built countries, and transform resource advantages into economic advantages. Third, we should use digital and green technologies to enable the co construction of key mineral cooperation along the "the Belt and Road". Through technical assistance, personnel training and other forms, we should support the co construction of countries to improve mining technology and upgrade geological information systems, promote digital mining cooperation demonstration projects, increase green production capacity and technology output, and improve the low-carbon operation of projects. Finally, we will build and improve the open cooperation pattern in key mineral fields along the "the Belt and Road", expand supply chain cooperation with enterprises from all sides, reduce geopolitical and policy risks, and promote the construction of industry rules to create China's image as a responsible big country.

conclusion

Emphasizing that China's influence in key mineral supply chains stems from multiple advantages, while the United States' attempt to build a "de Sinicized" supply chain faces multiple challenges. The strategic motivation of the United States is mainly to absorb resources and contain China economically, while China adheres to the principle of mutual consultation, construction and sharing in the the Belt and Road cooperation to promote mutual benefit and win-win results. China enhances the industrial level and endogenous development momentum of jointly built countries through key mineral cooperation, promotes the formation of a community with a shared future for key minerals, and has a positive impact on global industrial development and profit distribution.