The New Resource War: Rare Earths, China’s Monopoly, and the Future of Military Power

Modern warfare is no longer decided only by tanks, missiles, and soldiers.
It is decided by minerals.

From fighter jets and missiles to satellites, batteries, and advanced electronics, every modern weapons system depends on rare earths and critical minerals. Today, China controls large parts of the global production and processing of these materials — giving Beijing a powerful geopolitical weapon.

This lecture explores how access to rare earths and critical minerals has become one of the defining strategic issues of the 21st century — and why the United States, Europe, and their allies are dangerously exposed.

Drawing on geopolitics, military technology, and industrial realities, the presentation shows how China’s resource dominance, America’s попытка to break free from it, and Greenland’s growing strategic importance are reshaping global power politics.

Key themes include:

• Why rare earths and critical minerals are now strategic weapons

• How China built a near-monopoly over mining, refining, and magnets

• What modern weapons systems actually depend on — from F-35s to missiles

• Why the West cannot sustain a major war without Chinese supply chains

• Trump’s strategy to break China’s monopoly and secure U.S. independence

• Greenland, the Arctic, and the geopolitics of untapped mineral reserves

• The zero-sum logic now shaping great-power competition

• The environmental, health, and political costs of rebuilding mining capacity

• Why true independence from China is likely more than a decade away

The lecture combines:

• Strategic and geopolitical analysis

• Defence-industrial and technological insight

• Real-world case studies and historical parallels

• Policy-relevant conclusions for Europe, the U.S., and smaller states

and is designed to challenge optimistic assumptions about globalization, green technology, and Western strategic autonomy.

Formats:

• Public lecture or conference keynote

• Closed briefing for organizations, institutions, or leadership teams

• Tailored presentation for policymakers, defence stakeholders, energy and mining companies, or investors

Languages available: English, Danish, Swedish, and German
Pricing: Depends on the setting, number of participants, and whether it is a public lecture or a tailored presentation for a specific organization.